SRC-MKV S.B. 596 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterS.B. 596
By: Duncan
Education
6/11/2001
Enrolled


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Texas funds half-day pre-kindergarten programs for eligible students.  A
recent attorney general opinion prohibits school districts from offering
tuition-based pre-kindergarten programs for children not eligible for the
state-funded programs.  S.B. 596 allows school districts, on a voluntary
basis, to offer tuition-based or district-financed pre-kindergarten
programs to students not eligible for the state-funded program.  This bill
also requires the Texas Education Agency to include all state and federally
funded pre-kindergarten programs in its Public Information Management
System data collection and District Effectiveness and Compliance
monitoring. 

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 Chapter 29E, Education Code, by amending Section 29.153
and adding Sections 29.1531 and 29.1532, as follows: 

Sec. 29.153.  New heading: FREE PREKINDERGARTEN FOR CERTAIN CHILDREN. (a)
Prohibits a district from charging tuition for a prekindergarten class
offered under this section.  Deletes language stating that any school
district may offer prekindergarten classes. Adds language regarding
children eligible under Subsection (b). 

(b) Adds language regarding a child eligible under this section and makes a
conforming change.   

  (c) Makes a conforming change.

  (e) Makes a conforming change.

Sec. 29.1531.  TUITION-SUPPORTED  AND DISTRICT-FINANCED PREKINDERGARTEN.
(a) Authorizes a school district to offer on a tuition basis or use
district funds to provide an additional half-day of prekindergarten classes
to children eligible for classes under Section 29.153 and half-day and
full-day prekindergarten classes to children not eligible under Section
29.153. 

(b) Prohibits a district that offers a prekindergarten program on a tuition
basis from adopting a tuition rate for the program that is higher than
necessary to cover the added costs of providing the program, including any
costs associated with collecting, reporting, and analyzing data under
Section 29.1532(c), and requires the proposed tuition rate to be submitted
to the commissioner of education for approval. 

Sec. 29.1532.  PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.  (c) Requires a
school district that offers prekindergarten classes to include certain
information in the district's Public Education Information Management
System (PEIMS) report. 

SECTION 2. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2001-2002
school year. 

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001.