HBA-MPM S.B. 1617 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1617 By: Cain Public Education 5/17/1999 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Over the 1998-99 biennium, Texas spent approximately $600 million in state funds on educational technology and telecommunications infrastructure in addition to $50 million in federal funds. Although Texas has made a substantial investment over the past decade in educational technology, including a wide variety of projects, agencies, and funding sources, the precise goal and expected result of this investment remains unclear. S.B. 1617 establishes the Telecommunications and Educational Technology Coordinating Council to coordinate the state's promotion and use of educational technology. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 7, Education Code, by adding Section 7.006, as follows: Sec. 7.006. TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY COORDINATING COUNCIL. (a) Establishes the Telecommunications and Educational Technology Coordinating Council (council) to coordinate the state's promotion and use of educational technology. (b) Sets forth the representative composition of the council. (c) Requires the council to create a statewide master plan to promote coordination of efforts and minimize duplication of efforts in the state's deployment of educational technology and in educational technology grants made to school districts and other entities. Requires the council to monitor the implementation of the plan and to attempt to coordinate state educational technology efforts so that funding and services provided are not duplicative and that unmet needs are addressed. (d) Requires the council to promote discussions regarding issues such as the long-term ramifications of proposed educational technology initiatives and methods of meeting the educational needs of students with educational technology. (e) Requires the Department of Information Resources representative of the council to serve as the council's presiding officer. Requires the council to meet at the presiding officer's call, or as provided by the council's procedural rules. Authorizes each agency represented on the council to provide staff to the council. (f) Requires the council, no later than January 1, 2000, to submit a report to the legislature on the implementation of the statewide master plan with recommendations on statutory or other changes that require legislative action to improve the statewide master plan. SECTION 2. Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, by adding Section 61.0761, as follows: Sec. 61.0761. TRAINING FOR USE OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES. Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (board), the Texas Education Agency, the State Board for Educator Certification, and institutions of higher education, under the leadership of the board, to cooperate to ensure that certain goals are met with respect to the use of, training standards in, and funding for educational technologies. SECTION 3.Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.