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.