SRC-MSY S.B. 586 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 586 78R4793 BDH-DBy: Barrientos Education 3/13/2003 As Filed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Under current law, home-schooled children are exempted from compulsory public school attendance. In order to make a child exempt, the child's parent may verbally agree to home-school the child and an authorized representative of the relevant school district may make a record of the agreement. As proposed, S.B. 586 requires the parent or guardian of a child who is to be exempt from compulsory attendance because of home-schooling to provide the commissioner of education with a promissory note indicating that the parent accepts full responsibility for the child's education. 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 25.086, Education Code, by adding Subsection (c), as follows: (c) Exempts a home-schooled child under Subsection (a)(1) only if the child's parent or guardian provides the commissioner of education (commissioner) with written acknowledgment, on a form adopted by the commissioner, that the parent or guardian accepts complete responsibility for adequately teaching the child based on a curriculum designed to meet basic education goals. SECTION 2. Requires the commissioner to adopt the form described by Section 25.086(c) by January 1, 2004. SECTION 3. Provides that this Act is applicable beginning with the 2004-2005 school year. SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2003.