BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 188

                                                                                                                                        By: Zaffirini

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, the Education Code, is silent as to the responsibility of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to accredit the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI).  The provision to accredit TSBVI was inadvertently omitted from this section when it was adopted in 1997, yet was properly included in a parallel provision applicable to the Texas School for the Deaf.   Although the provision to accredit the school was omitted, TEA and TSBVI have operated as though such a provision was in effect an interagency memorandum of understanding between TEA and TSBVI. Senate Bill 188 establishes statutorily the role of TEA in accrediting TSBVI. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

Senate Bill 188 amends the Education Code to require the memorandum of understanding between the Texas Education Agency and the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired to establish a the process for the agency to:

                        (A)  assign an accreditation status to the school;

                        (B)  reevaluate the status on an annual basis; and

                        (C) if necessary, make on-site accreditation investigations.

EFFECTIVE DATE

Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2005.