Texas Special Session Legislation

[TXMike]

  By: Hochberg H.B. No. 27
 
 
   A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
   AN ACT
   relating to reducing costs in public school extracurricular 
   activities.
          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
          SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 33, Education Code, is 
   amended by adding Section 33.090 to read as follows:
          Sec. 33.090.  COST REDUCTIONS IN EXTRACURRICULAR 
   ACTIVITIES.  (a) The University Interscholastic League shall 
   establish rules and policies to achieve annual savings of at least 
   20 percent in costs expended by school districts for University 
   Interscholastic League athletic programs.  The University 
   Interscholastic League shall implement these rules and policies no 
   later than the start of the 2012-2013 school year and shall continue 
   the rules and policies throughout at least the 2016-2017 school 
   year.  The rules and policies proposed under this section shall be 
   approved by the commissioner prior to implementation by the 
   University Interscholastic League.
          (b)  In approving the rules and policies proposed by the 
   University Interscholastic League under this section, the 
   commissioner shall ensure that the proposed rules and policies will 
   achieve the annual cost savings under Subsection (a) and will 
   distribute cost savings proportionally under Subsection (d).
          (c)  To the extent practicable, the rules and policies 
   implemented under this section shall distribute cost savings 
   proportionally to the cost of each sport.
          (d)  The rules and policies implemented under this section 
   shall not be changed before 2016-2017 unless replaced with similar 
   cost saving measures approved by the commissioner.
          SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect October 1, 2011.

[Arbitrator]

 

But as I read it, there is nothing in HB-27 by Rep. Hochberg that would legislate control of interscholastic sports officiating over to the UIL. All that this appears to be is a bill to manipulate costs in that given area which is being assigned strictly to the UIL, the Commissioner of Education, and to the numerous school districts of Texas. Am I correct in that regard?  

[TXMike]

Only thing I can see that is related to us is that officiating costs could be one way they try to control costs if the legislation is passed.

[Arbitrator]

Only thing I can see that is related to us is that officiating costs could be one way they try to control costs if the legislation is passed.

 

Which leads me to think that if it's cost-cutting measures that the legislature is looking for in UIL 1204, then if passed, one cannot help but feel that the UIL gate structure in football will soon be a thing of the past. Can you spell F-L-A-T-F-E-E? That's exactly what the UIL and the Texas School Districts are shooting for!