SRC-TAG S.B. 13 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 13 78R6372 CAS-FBy: Zaffirini Education 3/27/2003 As Filed DIGEST 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. As proposed, S.B. 13 limits the amount of paperwork that can be required of public school classroom teachers. 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 Section 11.164, Education Code, as follows: Sec. 11.164. New heading: RESTRICTING WRITTEN INFORMATION. (a) Requires the board of trustees of each school district (board) to limit redundant requests for information, rather than soliciting recommendations from each campus-level committee and the district-level committee and the district-level committee, and the number and length of written reports that a classroom teacher is, rather than employees of the district are, required to prepare. Prohibits a classroom teacher from being required to prepare any information, other than under certain circumstances, except as provided by Subsection (b). (b) 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. (c) Provides that this section does not preclude a school district from collecting essential information, in addition to information specified under Subsection (a), from a classroom teacher if participation is agreed to by the teacher and the school district. SECTION 2. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2003-2004 school year. SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2003.