Bill Text: TX SB686 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the creation and funding of the Texas student connectivity account; imposing a fee.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-11 - Referred to Business & Commerce [SB686 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB686-Introduced.html
| 87R2296 CJC-D | ||
| By: Lucio | S.B. No. 686 | |
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| relating to the creation and funding of the Texas student | ||
| connectivity account; imposing a fee. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 48, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 48.304 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 48.304. TEXAS STUDENT CONNECTIVITY ACCOUNT. (a) In | ||
| this section: | ||
| (1) "Account" means the Texas student connectivity | ||
| account. | ||
| (2) "Wireless service provider" and "wireless | ||
| telecommunications connection" have the meanings assigned by | ||
| Section 771.001, Health and Safety Code. | ||
| (b) The Texas student connectivity account is an account in | ||
| the general revenue fund administered by the agency. | ||
| (c) The account consists of: | ||
| (1) money deposited to the credit of the account as | ||
| provided by this section or other law; and | ||
| (2) gifts, grants, and donations to the account. | ||
| (d) A Texas student connectivity fee of $2 is imposed on | ||
| each wireless telecommunications connection each month. A wireless | ||
| service provider shall: | ||
| (1) collect the fee from the provider's subscribers; | ||
| and | ||
| (2) not later than the 30th day after the last day of | ||
| the month during which the fee is collected except as otherwise | ||
| provided under Subsection (e), remit the collected fee to the | ||
| comptroller, accompanied by a report in a form the comptroller | ||
| determines that contains the total amount collected from the | ||
| provider's subscribers and remitted by the provider for the report | ||
| month. | ||
| (e) The comptroller by rule may establish alternative dates | ||
| for the remittance of a fee and report under Subsection (d). | ||
| (f) The comptroller shall deposit a fee remitted under this | ||
| section to the credit of the account. Money in the account may be | ||
| appropriated only to the agency to: | ||
| (1) provide matching funds necessary to obtain federal | ||
| money available to school districts to expand or upgrade broadband | ||
| Internet infrastructure, including federal money available under | ||
| the Schools and Libraries Program ("E-rate program") as provided by | ||
| 47 C.F.R. Part 54, Subpart F; and | ||
| (2) reimburse school districts with a high percentage | ||
| of economically disadvantaged students for the cost of providing | ||
| Internet connectivity or technology to students for educational | ||
| purposes. | ||
| (g) The commissioner and comptroller may adopt rules to | ||
| administer this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
