BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1337 By: Rodriguez (Sponsor) Education 05-04-95 Senate Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Currently, almost 40 percent of students who enter Texas community colleges and 20 percent 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 mastery is demonstrated by passing the appropriate section of the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) test. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 1337 authorizes junior college districts to 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. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 130E, Education Code, by adding Section 130.090, as follows: Sec. 130.090. REMEDIAL PROGRAMS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS. (a) Authorizes the governing board of a junior college district (district) to contract with the governing board of an independent school district in the junior college district's service area for the junior college to provide remedial programs for students enrolled in secondary schools in the independent school district in preparation for graduation from secondary school and entrance into college. (b) Authorizes the governing board of a district to exempt from tuition a student enrolled in a remedial program provided under Subsection (a). (c) Provides that the grant of an exemption from tuition under Subsection (b) does not affect the right of a junior college to a proportionate share of state appropriations under Section 130.003 attributable to the contact hours of the junior college with the student receiving the exemption. SECTION 2. Makes application of this Act begin with the fall semester of 1995. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.