LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 17, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Paul Sadler, Chair, House Committee on Public
               Education
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB3494  by Tillery (Relating to grants awarded by the
               commissioner of education to promote pre-reading
               instruction.), As Introduced
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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The bill amends Texas Education Code 29.155, Ready to Read Grants.  Under
the bill, instruction funded with the grants may only be provided in a
year-round full day setting in which a certain pedagogy is promulgated.
The bill would tend to limit the number of campuses meeting the
eligibility requirements for the bill.  The bill also increases the
minimum and maximum grant award amounts; grants made in the current
biennium are within the new limits, however.
  
Local Government Impact
  
Local school districts wishing to apply for funds under the program would
have to first establish the program eligibility requirements outlined in
the legislation.  The district would incur costs, if it chose to
establish the year-round full day program required by the bill; "Ready
to Read" grant funds would offset a small portion of the overall cost of
the program.
  
  
Source Agencies:   701   Texas Education Agency
LBB Staff:         JK, CT, PF, UP