S.B. 13 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 13 By: Zaffirini Public Education Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, Texas lacks laws to regulate the amount of time a teacher spends on paperwork. Some believe that restricting the amount of required written information would permit teachers to spend more time on teaching students at public schools. S.B. 13 limits the amount of paperwork that can be required of public school classroom teachers. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, institution, or agency. ANALYSIS S.B. 13 amends the Education Code to require the board of trustees of each school district (board) to limit redundant requests for information and the number and length of written reports that a classroom teacher is required to prepare. The bill prohibits a classroom teacher from being required to prepare any written information, other than under certain circumstances. The bill requires the board to review paperwork requirements imposed on classroom teachers and to transfer to existing noninstructional staff a reporting task that can reasonably be accomplished by that staff. The bill does not preclude a school district from collecting essential information from a classroom teacher on agreement between the classroom teacher and the district. This Act applies beginning with the 2003-2004 school year. EFFECTIVE DATE Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2003.