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.