BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	C.S.H.B. 1147
87R24539 KJE-F	By: Huberty; Guillen (Taylor)
	Education
	5/7/2021
	Committee Report (Substituted)

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

H.B. 1147 amends Chapter 48 of the Education Code to include enlisting in the Texas National Guard as an indicator of military readiness by which schools receive bonuses under the Foundation School Program. Currently, schools are not recognized for preparing a "military-ready" student when a graduate chooses to enroll in the Texas National Guard, and this omission creates inaccuracies in measuring progress towards the goals set under the state's master plan for higher education and under-rewards school districts for their successes in preparing annual graduates for the workforce.

With the passage of H.B. 3 during the 86th Legislative Session, schools receive college, career, and military readiness (CCMR) bonuses in accordance with the number of students they graduate who meet specific criteria. Each of those designations have criteria that graduates need to meet for their school to be eligible for the bonus; for the military, it requires a passing score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery exam, followed by enlistment in a branch of the United States armed forces. Despite no equivalent test existing for the Texas National Guard, our bill ensures that should a student choose to enlist in the Texas National Guard, their school is also recognized for preparing a military-ready student.

(Original Author's/Sponsor's Statement of Intent)

C.S.H.B. 1147 amends current law relating to military readiness for purposes of the indicators of achievement under the public school accountability system and the college, career, or military readiness outcomes bonus under the Foundation School Program.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 39.053(c), Education Code, to require that school districts and campuses be evaluated based on three domains of indicators of achievement adopted under Section 39.053 (Performance Indicators; Achievement) that include, in the student achievement domain, indicators of student achievement that are required to include, for evaluating the performance of high school campuses and districts that include high school campuses, certain indicators, including indicators that account for students who enlist in the armed forces of the United States or the Texas National Guard, rather than in the armed forces of the United States.

SECTION 2. Amends Section 48.110(f), Education Code, to provide that for the purposes of Section 48.110 (College, Career, or Military Readiness Outcomes Bonus), an annual graduate demonstrates military readiness if the annual graduate meets certain criteria, including that the graduate during a time period established by commissioner of education rule enlists in the armed forces of the United States or the Texas National Guard, rather than in the armed forces of the United States.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2021.