1-1     By:  Lucio                                             S.B. No. 538
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 5, 2001; February 7, 2001,
 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Education;
 1-4     March 8, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 7,
 1-5     Nays 0; March 8, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to a study of duties performed by public school
 1-9     counselors.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  (a)  The comptroller of public accounts shall
1-12     conduct a comprehensive statewide study of the duties public school
1-13     counselors perform.
1-14           (b)  In conducting the study, the comptroller of public
1-15     accounts shall:
1-16                 (1)  include all public school counselors, regardless
1-17     of whether the counselors are employed by a school district that
1-18     receives funds as provided by Subsection (i), Section 42.152,
1-19     Education Code;
1-20                 (2)  determine the percentage of total employment time
1-21     public school counselors spend in performing:
1-22                       (A)  duties relating to:
1-23                             (i)  assessment and testing;
1-24                             (ii)  schedule changes;
1-25                             (iii)  group counseling;
1-26                             (iv)  individual counseling;
1-27                             (v)  parent conferences;
1-28                             (vi)  teacher conferences;
1-29                             (vii)  admission, review, and dismissal
1-30     meetings; and
1-31                             (viii)  provision of information concerning
1-32     institutions of higher education;
1-33                       (B)  each duty described by Section 33.005 or
1-34     33.006, Education Code, that is not addressed by Paragraph (A) of
1-35     this subdivision; and
1-36                       (C)  each additional duty not addressed by
1-37     Paragraph (A) or (B) of this subdivision that public school
1-38     counselors perform, as identified by the comptroller; and
1-39                 (3)  determine the public school counselor-to-student
1-40     ratio statewide and in each school district at the elementary,
1-41     middle or junior high, and high school levels.
1-42           (c)  Not later than January 1, 2003, the comptroller of
1-43     public accounts shall submit a report to the legislature containing
1-44     the findings and any recommendations resulting from the study.
1-45           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-46                                  * * * * *