Enrolled Bill Summary

            House Bill 211 amends the Education Code to make Government Code open meetings and public information requirements that apply to school districts, school boards, and schoolchildren apply also to open-enrollment charter schools and charter school students. The act specifies the details of a charter school or program's governance structure that must be included in the charter; requires each entity granted a charter for an open-enrollment school to file a copy of its bylaws or a comparable document and an annual listing of officers and board members and their compensation with the State Board of Education; and requires the board to make this information available to the public on request. The act prohibits individuals convicted of a felony or certain misdemeanors from serving as charter school officers or board members and allows certain nonprofit corporations to issue bonds to finance or refinance facilities for use by a charter school.

            House Bill 211 also amends the Government Code to protect from public disclosure the name of an individual or school district information that identifies an individual who has reported a possible criminal, civil, or regulatory law violation unless the informer participated in the possible violation or consents to the disclosure. The information may be made available to law enforcement or prosecutorial personnel upon request.

            House Bill 211 further amends the Government Code to require a school district or charter school that seeks to withhold certain information about a child from the child's parent, and that challenges an attorney general decision denying its request to withhold the information, to file suit within 30 days of receiving the attorney general's decision, or comply with the decision. The act requires a court to grant such suit precedence over other matters to ensure prompt resolution of the issue and prohibits the district or school from appealing the court's decision.