BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

                                                                                                                                    C.S.H.B. 2372

                                                                                                                                  By: King, Tracy

                                                                                                                                Higher Education

                                                                                                        Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

In order to attend many colleges, a student must achieve an acceptable score on either the American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT).  Many students enroll in preparatory classes to help them do well on the test.  CSHB 2372 establishes a pilot program to fund preparatory classes for underprivileged students.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Education Agency in SECTION 1 (Section 29.408, Education Code) and SECTION 2 (Education Code) of this bill. 

 

ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Directs the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to establish a college entrance examination preparation pilot program for the purpose of enabling a participating campus to offer a college entrance examination preparation course to participating students.  Defines the goals for the TEA.  Defines a campus as being eligible  to participate only if at least 40 percent of the students enrolled at the campus are educationally disadvantaged students or are at risk of dropping out of school.  Defines the application process and process to select vendors.  The TEA shall select campuses from among the qualified applicants.

 

States that the select participating campuses will receive a grant from the TEA.  States that participating campuses must provide for logistical requirements of the preparation course; including transportation and study supplies.  The TEA may not spend more than a total of $2 million in any fiscal biennium in awarding grants under this program.  Defines reporting and evaluation requirements.  Provides for the adoption of rules and expiration of the program.

SECTION 2.  Requires that the TEA Commissioner adopt necessary rules and make the program available in the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 school years.

 

SECTION 3. Effective date.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2005.

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

 

The substitute adds language clarifying the establishment of the program.  The substitute allows the TEA to establish guidelines for selecting vendors, instead of specifying criteria in the legislation.  The substitute redefines campus eligibility from being defined in the Federal "No Child Left Behind" Act of 2001 to a Texas definition of "students at risk of dropping out of school" in the Education Code.  The substitute deletes criteria for student eligibility, deletes criteria for the course, deletes the description of program reporting, changes the reporting date, and adds an expiration date for the program. 

 

The substitute differs from the original by limiting spending on the program at $2 million.