BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 332

By: Talarico

Public Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Health providers, educators, and parents have reported a marked increase in the incidence of mental illness such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation in children due to the social and emotional toll of the COVID-19 pandemic and Winter Storm Uri. Research shows that social-emotional learning programs help improve student mental health and academic performance. Due to the pandemic, Texas students need this type of support more than ever, and schools need resources to provide those supports. The objective of the state compensatory education program is to provide public school districts with funding for programs and services to close the gap between educationally disadvantaged and at-risk students and all other students in academic achievement and high school completion rates. C.S.H.B. 332 seeks to fund programs that build skills related to managing emotions, establishing and maintaining positive relationships, and making responsible decisions.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 332 amends the Education Code to authorize the use of compensatory education allotment funds under the foundation school program to provide programs that build skills related to managing emotions, establishing and maintaining positive relationships, and making responsible decisions. The bill clarifies that the use of allotment funds to provide child-care services or assistance with child-care expenses to a student at risk of dropping out applies to such a student who is a parent.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 332 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute changes the description of the programs authorized for compensatory education allotment funding from social and emotional learning programs to programs that build skills related to managing emotions, establishing and maintaining positive relationships, and making responsible decisions.

The substitute includes a clarification of the eligibility of students who are parents for child-care services or assistance from allotment funds.