Corpus Christi Sun

Rep. J.M. Lozano introduced HB 1703, a bill on Education, Minors, State Finances, and Taxation, to the Texas House on Friday, March 14 during the 89(R) legislative session, according to the Texas Legislature website.

More specifically, the official text was summarized by the state legislature as ’’Relating to the use of average enrollment for purposes of the public school finance system’’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

This bill revises the method for calculating public school finance by introducing "average enrollment." It defines average enrollment as either the total number of students enrolled throughout the school year or, in certain circumstances, a fractional calculation for districts with specific programs. The bill includes provisions to address declines in enrollment due to factors like military base adjustments, migratory students, or disasters. It outlines specific circumstances for adjusting average enrollment calculations related to prekindergarten, dropout recovery, and even in cases of extended instructional programs. Charter schools have distinct guidelines, and funding adjustments are limited by the appropriated state budget. The bill also stipulates the inclusion of students participating in off-campus programs and outlines rules for calculation adjustments when school districts experience major disruptions. It is set to be effective starting Sept. 1, 2025.

J.M. Lozano, member of the House Committee on Corrections, proposed another two bills during the 89(R) legislative session.

Lozano graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BA.

J.M. Lozano is currently serving in the Texas State House, representing the state's 43rd House district. He replaced previous state representative Tara Rios Ybarra in 2011.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
HB 1702	03/14/2025	Relating to eligibility for the Lone Star Workforce of the Future Fund grant program
HB 1293	03/10/2025	Relating to the regulation by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality of certain outdoor burns conducted during a state of disaster or state of emergency