Harrison’s bill for full line-item budgets online

The text as introduced · 434 words

By: Harrison
H.B. No. 1223

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the publication of a line-item budget by school

districts and municipalities.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 44.0041, Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

Sec. 44.0041. PUBLICATION OF LINE-ITEM [ SUMMARY OF

PROPOSED ] BUDGET. [ (a) ] Concurrently with the publication of

notice of the budget under Section 44.004, a school district shall

post the district's proposed budget in line-item form [ a summary of

the proposed budget ]:

(1) on the school district's Internet website; or

(2) if the district has no Internet website, in the

district's central administrative office.

[ (b) The budget summary must include:

[ (1) information relating to per student and aggregate

spending on:

[ (A) instruction;

[ (B) instructional support;

[ (C) central administration;

[ (D) district operations;

[ (E) debt service; and

[ (F) any other category designated by the

commissioner; and

[ (2) a comparison to the previous year's actual

spending. ]

SECTION 2. Section 44.0051, Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(a) On final approval of the budget by the board of

trustees, the school district shall post on the district's Internet

website a copy of the budget adopted by the board of trustees in

line-item form . The district's Internet website must prominently

display the electronic link to the adopted budget in line-item

form .

(b) The district shall maintain the adopted budget , in

line-item form, on the district's Internet website until the third

anniversary of the date the budget was adopted.

SECTION 3. Section 102.005(c), Local Government Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(c) The proposed budget shall be available in line-item form

for inspection by any person. If the municipality maintains an

Internet website, the municipal clerk shall take action to ensure

that the proposed budget is posted on the website in line-item form .

SECTION 4. Section 102.008(a), Local Government Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(a) On final approval of the budget by the governing body of

the municipality, the governing body shall:

(1) file the budget with the municipal clerk; and

(2) if the municipality maintains an Internet website,

take action to ensure that:

(A) a copy of the budget, including the cover

page, is posted on the website in line-item form ; and

(B) the record vote described by Section

102.007(d)(2) is posted on the website at least until the first

anniversary of the date the budget is adopted.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.