BILL ANALYSIS



H.B. 1337
By: Rodriguez
03-30-95
Committee Report (Unamended)


BACKGROUND

Currently, almost 40% of students who enter Texas community
colleges and 20% of students who enter four-year institutions of
higher education cannot read, write or compute at levels needed to
perform effectively in higher education. Those students found to
have academic skills deficiencies must participate in remediation
programs until skill mastery is demonstrated by passing the
appropriate section of the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP)
test. A large percentage of students requiring remediation attend
community colleges and 86% of all remedial funding is provided to
two-year institutions.


PURPOSE

Junior college districts may enter into agreements with service
area independent school districts to provide pre-graduation
remedial programs to high school students in preparation for their
graduation from high school and their entrance into college. The
bill would also allow these programs to be offered as tuition-free
programs while allowing the college district to receive contact
hour reimbursement from the State.


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.


SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 130 E, Education Code, by adding Section
130.090 to read as follows:

     Sec. 130.090.  REMEDIAL PROGRAMS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
STUDENTS.  (a) The governing board of a junior college district may
enter into a contract with the governing board of an independent
school district, if that school district is with that college
district's service area, for the purpose of providing remedial
programs to that school district's secondary students in
preparation for their graduation from secondary school and
subsequent college entry. (b) The governing board of a junior
college district may exempt a secondary student in such a remedial
program from having to pay tuition. (c) Providing such exemptions
does not affect the right of a junior college to a proportionate
share of State appropriations under Section 130.003.

SECTION 2.  Effective date:  Fall semester, 1995. 
     
SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.







SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION

H.B. 1337 was considered by the committee in a public hearing on
March 28, 1995.  The following persons testified in favor of the
bill:
Mr. Gene Garcia;
Dr. Lusiano Sonny Soliz; 
Dr. Robert E. Zeigler; and
Mr. Leo Zuniga.
The bill was reported favorably without amendment, with the
recommendation that it do pass and be printed and be sent to the
Committee on Local and Consent Calendars, by a record vote of 9
ayes, 0 nays, 0 pnv, 0 absent.