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.