SRC-ARR H.B. 617 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 617
76R3379 BDH-DBy: Ehrhardt (West)
Education
5/13/1999
Engrossed



DIGEST 

Section 11.251 (Planning and Decision-Making Process), Education Code,
establishes a school district-and campus-level planning and decision-making
process that provides for a site-based decision-making committee. This
committee is composed of professional staff of the district, parents, and
community members to establish and review the district's and campuses'
educational plans, goals, performance objectives, and major classroom
instructional programs. Under Section 7.056 (Waivers and
Exemptions),Education Code, any school campus or district seeking a waiver
of a requirement, restriction, or prohibition provided by the Education
Code or rule of the school board or the commissioner of education
(commissioner) must submit a written application to the commissioner, which
must include written comments from the appropriate site-based
decisionmaking committee. However, no process exists which verifies that
the majority of the committee members have reviewed the waiver before the
submission of written comments, on behalf of the committee, to the
commissioner. H.B. 617 requires a written application for a waiver to
include the signature of the chairperson of the appropriate campus- or
district-level committee to indicate that a majority of the committee
members have reviewed the application. This bill provides that the
chairperson of the district-level committee, and of each campus-level
committee whose campus is affected, must comment on and sign the district's
application for a waiver; accordingly, the chairperson of the campus-level
committee must comment on and sign the campus' application for a waiver by
a campus. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, H.B. 617 sets forth certain requirements for waiver
applications by a public school campus or district.  

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 Section 7.056(b), Education Code, to include among the
required contents of a written application for a waiver, the signature of
the chairperson of the appropriate campus or district-level committee
established under Section 11.251 (Planning and Decision-Making Process)
evidencing review of the application by a majority of the members of the
committee. Provides that the chairperson of the district-level committee,
and of each campus-level committee whose campus is affected, must comment
on and sign the district's application for a waiver. Provides that the
chair person of the campus-level committee must comment on and sign the
campus' application for a waiver by a campus. Makes a nonsubstantive
change.  

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.