SRC-JRN S.B. 1356 75(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1356
By: West
Education
4-1-97
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, Texas law is limited concerning requirements established for
the reporting of information by the commissioner of education.  Because of
this limitation, the current Education Code may be unclear as to the
authority it gives the commissioner to gather certain information for
reports.  This bill clarifies the authority of the commissioner of
education for gathering certain data. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 1356 clarifies the authority of the commissioner of
education for gathering certain data. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 37, Education Code, by adding Section 37.020, as
follows: 

Sec. 37.020. REPORTS TO COMMISSIONER.  Requires each school district to
annually report certain information to the commissioner of education in a
manner directed by the commissioner.  Requires information identifying
each student placed in an alternative education program under Section
37.008, including personally identifiable information, to be reported.
Provides that information indicating whether the student was placed in the
program based on certain types of conduct to be reported for each
placement in an alternative education program.  Requires the number of
days the student was assigned to the program and was in attendance at the
program to be reported, for each student placed in an alternative
education program under Section 37.008.  Requires information that will
enable the Texas Education Agency to correlate expulsion data with
information collected through other reports and that identifies each
student expelled under Section 37.007, including personally identifiable
information, such as but not limited to race, gender, and date of birth,
to be reported.  Requires information indicating certain reasons for the
expulsion of each student to be reported.  Requires the number of days
each expulsion was effective for each expelled student to be reported.
Requires information indicating the placement of each student upon
expulsion, including certain information, to be reported. 

SECTION 2. Provides that this Act takes effect beginning with the
1997-1998 school year. 

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.