13th check bill headed to governor, but funding is up in the air

The Texas House approved final passage of SB 7, the 13^th check legislation, and SB 15, the bill regarding virtual instruction.

No changes were made to SB 7 in the House, so that bill will go directly to the governor’s desk for approval. It is noteworthy that distribution of the checks is reliant on the legislature providing full funding. Funding is included in HB 5, which was scheduled for House floor debate Monday but postponed until Wednesday. As tensions between certain members of the House and Senate rise, there are concerns that this special session could still end without a resolution to the 13^th check proposal, funding for the legislative branch, and other key issues.

SB 15 was amended in the House and will return to the Senate, where that body will decide whether to accept the changes or appoint a conference committee to negotiate the differences. SB 15 allows districts to receive full state funding for limited virtual instruction. House amendments included provisions that would preclude a district from receiving such funding for a student if, in the previous year, the student did not perform satisfactorily on all state assessments, was absent for more than 10% of instructional days, or did not earn at least a C in all foundation courses.