TITLE: Relating to procedures for the submission by school districts of amended data through the Public Education Information Management System.

SUMMARY: Relating to procedures for the submission by school districts of amended data through the Public Education Information Management System.

FULL TEXT:
AN ACT relating to procedures for the submission by school districts of amended data through the Public Education Information Management System. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 42, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 42.0061 to read as follows: Sec. 42.0061. PROCEDURES FOR SUBMISSION OF AMENDED DATA TO PUBLIC EDUCATION INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (PEIMS). (a) To promote the efficient and effective allocation of scarce school resources, the commissioner shall permit each school district to amend previous Public Education Information Management System data submissions until the fifth anniversary of the date on which the data was initially submitted for the purposes of providing accurate data and recovering, in accordance with this section, any funds the district is entitled to based on that accurate data. (b) The commissioner shall appoint at least one contact person in the agency to assist school districts with issues involving recovery of funds based on an amended Public Education Information Management System data submission. (c) The commissioner shall maintain and make available the application used for processing Public Education Information Management System submissions as necessary to allow amended data to be efficiently processed by a school district for purposes of this section. (d) A school district superintendent's certification of a district's initial Public Education Information Management System submission does not waive the district's right to amend the data for purposes of this section. (e) A third party with demonstrated competence in Public Education Information Management System data and data analysis, other than a certified public accountant, audit firm, or financial audit firm, may prepare any amended data for submission under this section. (f) A school district's superintendent must certify that amended data is correct and has been prepared by a party with demonstrated competence in Public Education Information Management System data and data analysis. (g) A school district must maintain documentation necessary to verify the amended data in electronic form or paper copy. (h) An initial Public Education Information Management System submission and any amended submission may be used as documentation to support the recovery of funding under this section. All amended data must comply with business rules in effect for the year for which the data is being amended. (i) After a school district submits amended data evidencing entitlement to recovery of funds, the commissioner shall promptly pay the district by adjustment to the district's allotments for each year affected. (j) A school district is not required to run data reports from previous year data systems. The district may use the state supported Internet application used for Public Education Information Management System submissions for processing amended data under this section. (k) The commissioner shall adopt rules to administer this section. SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.