BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 2383
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The career and technical education departments in the public school system exist to develop, implement, and evaluate challenging real-world educational programs. These programs are academically integrated and offer students a comprehensive list of courses in order to prepare them to meet and exceed the challenges facing them in a high-paced, competitive work environment. They also offer state or industry certification exams. However, many graduates choose not to take the exams due to financial constraints caused by the cost of the exams. These graduates may not reach their full earning potential if they do not seek certification.
H.B. 2383 provides funding to the career and technical education departments of the public school system for the purpose of assisting students in paying for state or industry certification exams.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the commissioner of education in SECTION 1 (Section 29.190, Education Code) of this bill.
Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in SECTION 2 (Section 56.203, Education Code) of this bill.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter F, Chapter 29, Education Code, by adding Section 29.190, as follows:
Sec. 29.190. SUBSIDY FOR CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION. (a) Entitles a student to a subsidy under this section if the student meets certain requirements set forth in this subsection.
(b) Requires the commissioner of education (commissioner) to adopt guidelines for determining financial need consistent with the definition of financial need adopted by the College Board and Education Testing Service.
(c) Requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA), on approval by the commissioner, to pay each eligible student an amount equal to the cost paid by the student for the certification examination. Requires a student to take certain actions set forth in this subsection to obtain a subsidy under this section.
(d) Authorizes the commissioner to adopt rules as necessary to implement this section.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 56.203, Education Code, by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (e), as follows:
(a) Requires a person to have graduated from a public high school in this state in the manner set forth in this subsection and have attended one or more public high schools in this state for the majority of time the person attended high school, rather than exclusively in this state to be eligible for an award through the Early High School Graduation Scholarship program. Deletes existing text requiring the person to be a Texas resident as defined by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) rule.
(e) Requires THECB to adopt rules for determining whether a person attended public high school in this state as required by Subsection (a)(2).
SECTION 3. Makes application of Section 56.203, Education Code, as amended by this Act, prospective.
SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with the 2007-2008 school year.
SECTION 5. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2007.