HBA-MSH S.B. 538 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 538
By: Lucio
Public Education
4/26/2001
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law sets forth the primary responsibilities of public school
counselors and outlines the developmental guidance and counseling programs
they design. However, these statutory guidelines apply only to schools that
receive funding from the state compensatory education allotment for school
counseling programs. A Texas Education Agency report indicated that school
counselors who are employed under these guidelines dealt with less
administrative and clerical tasks unrelated to guidance and counseling and
were able to focus more on counseling students, especially those students
who are at-risk.  Senate Bill 538 requires the comptroller of public
accounts to conduct a comprehensive statewide study of the duties public
school counselors perform and report the findings to the legislature. 

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

Senate Bill 538 requires the comptroller of public accounts (comptroller)
to conduct a comprehensive statewide study of the duties public school
counselors perform.  In conducting the study, the bill requires the
comptroller to include all public school counselors, determine the
percentage of total employment time counselors spends in performing
different duties, and determine the counselor-to-student ratio statewide
and in each school district at the elementary, middle or junior high, and
high school levels.  The bill requires the comptroller to submit a report
to the legislature no later than January 1, 2003 containing the findings
and any recommendations resulting from the study. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.