SRC-MWN S.B. 526 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 526 77R3239 CAS-DBy: Armbrister Education 2/23/2001 As Filed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Currently, some children enrolling into kindergarten are not turning five-years of age until several weeks after the school calender year has begun. As proposed, S.B. 526 changes the birth date to May 31 so that children who turn five-years of age in the summer will have the additional time to mature before they begin school. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Sections 25.001(a) and (b), Education Code, to provide that a person who was, rather than is, at least five years of age on May 31 of the preceding school year and is under 21 years of age on the first day of September of the, rather than any, school year is entitled to the benefits of the available school fund for that school year. Requires the board of trustees of a school district or its designee to admit into the public schools of the district free of tuition a person who is entitled to the benefits of the available school fund under Subsection (a) for the school year in which admission is sought if the person meets certain conditions. Deletes text regarding over five and younger than 21 years of age. SECTION 2. Amends Section 25.036(a), Education Code, to make a conforming change. SECTION 3. Amends Section 29.151, Education Code, to require the board of trustees of each school district to establish and maintain one or more kindergartens for the training of children residing in the district who were, rather than are, at least five years of age on May 31, rather than September 1, of the preceding school year. SECTION 4. Amends Sections 42.003(a) and (c), Education Code, to make conforming changes. SECTION 5. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2001-2002 school year. SECTION 6. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001.