TITLE: Requesting that the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House of Representatives create a joint interim committee to study issuance of credit against required recapture payments for Gulf Coast county school districts with excess facilities costs.

SUMMARY: Requesting that the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House of Representatives create a joint interim committee to study issuance of credit against required recapture payments for Gulf Coast county school districts with excess facilities costs.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, School districts in counties along the state's Gulf Coast are subject to greater expenses than their inland counterparts; and WHEREAS, Due to their geographical location, districts in coastal counties are confronted with exceptional costs that are expected to continue to rise; recent years have seen more frequent and intense hurricanes and rainfall, leading to significant expenditures for maintenance, renovations, and repairs; moreover, insurance premiums are climbing as companies reassess risk in regions that are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events; and WHEREAS, Currently, the recapture formulas of the public school finance system do not take into consideration the elevated expenses borne by school districts in counties along the Gulf Coast; as the state seeks a pathway to eliminate school district maintenance and operations property taxes, it should examine the immediate need to relieve the inordinate burden placed on Gulf Coast school districts; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas, 2nd Called Session, hereby request that the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House of Representatives create a joint interim committee to study issuance of credit against required recapture payments for Gulf Coast county school districts with excess facilities costs; and, be it further RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including findings and recommendations, to the 89th Texas Legislature in January 2025.