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


Senate Research CenterC.S.S.B. 596
77R10183 BDH-DBy: Duncan
Education
3/22/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, 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.  C.S.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.


SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE CHANGES

Differs from original in SECTION 1, Section 29.1531, Education Code, by
changing the section heading from "Tuition-Supported Prekindergarten" to
"Tuition-Supported and District-Financed Prekindergarten."  Adds language
to Section 29.1531 to authorize a school district to offer prekindergarten
classes on a tuition basis or through the use of district funds.  Adds
language to specify that costs of providing the program include any costs
associated with collecting, reporting, and analyzing data under Section
29.1532(c), and to require the proposed tuition rate to be submitted to the
commissioner of education for approval. 

Differs from original by deleting original SECTION 2 relating to the
evaluation of prekindergarten programs by the Texas Education Agency
(agency) and the creation of indicators by the agency, in cooperation with
other specified groups, to be used for the evaluations. 

Renumbers original SECTIONS 3 and 4, relating to application of this Act
and the effective date of the Act, to SECTIONS 2 and 3.