BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3642

By: Talarico

Youth Health & Safety, Select

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools across Texas are struggling with increased behavioral challenges among students. Lack of in-person instruction due to the pandemic disrupted the development of healthy student-teacher relationships and safe, productive classroom environments, and when schools reopened, many students returned to the classroom with heightened trauma, anxiety, and inattention issues due to disruptions in routine and adverse household experiences during the pandemic. When these issues go unaddressed, they can escalate into behaviors that threaten the safety of staff and other students. However, many teachers have not received any type of classroom management training to help them minimize classroom disruptions and address negative student behavior before it escalates into a classroom safety threat.

Texas' school safety allotment serves as an invaluable financial resource for school districts seeking to address behavioral challenges among students and improve classroom safety. Classroom management training can serve as a crucial tool in equipping teachers with the skills necessary to promote positive student behavior and maintain safe classroom environments, but current law does not expressly include classroom behavioral management training as an authorized use of the school safety allotment. C.S.H.B. 3642 seeks to specify that training in classroom behavioral management is an authorized use of funds under the school safety allotment.

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. 3642 amends the Education Code to specify that providing professional development for educators that includes training in classroom behavioral management constitutes an authorized use of funds allocated under the school safety allotment to improve school safety and security training and planning. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 3642 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

Whereas the introduced  provided for the inclusion of professional development opportunities for educators regarding classroom behavioral management as an authorized use of funds under the allotment, the substitute provides for the inclusion of professional development for educators that includes training in classroom behavioral management under the allotment.