HBA-NRS, CCH H.B. 427 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 427 By: Morrison Public Education 4/12/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The expansion of Texas' high-tech industries and the diversification of the business environment have increased the need for an educated workforce. However, between 1998 and 1999, more than 27,000 students in grades 7-12 dropped out of Texas schools, many with only a few months left to graduate. The Texas Workforce Commission indicates that almost 50 percent of adults on welfare do not have a high school diploma, and the Texas Legislative Council reports that in 1999 approximately 27 percent of persons 16 years of age and older who did not graduate from high school were living in poverty. Increasing the graduation rate in Texas would contribute to Texas' economic growth and provide for a more educated population. House Bill 427 requires a student to complete the school year in which the student's 18th birthday occurs. 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. ANALYSIS House Bill 427 amends the Education Code to require a child to attend school until the end of the school year in which the child turns 18 years old, rather than only until the child's 18th birthday. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001. The Act applies beginning with the 2001-2002 school year.