BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 636

By: Guillen

Public Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Texas currently receives $47 million from the federal government and $6.8 million from Texas general revenue annually for adult and family literacy programs. The amount of money Texas receives from the federal government is based on the number of individuals in the state who do not possess a high school diploma. However, the state currently allocates adult basic education funding to counties based primarily (75 percent) on contact hour reimbursement, thus underfunding areas of the state with the greatest need.

C.S.H.B. 636 requires the Texas Education Agency to allocate based on need, state and federal adult basic education funds, other than federal funds set aside for specific purposes, and applies this requirement to the amount of such funds exceeding the amounts available in the 2008-2009 school year.

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

C.S.H.B. 636 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Education Agency to allocate state and federal adult basic education funds, other than federal funds set aside for state administration, special projects, and staff development, based on need. The bill makes this requirement applicable only to the amount of state and federal adult basic education funds, other than those funds set aside as described above, available for a school year that exceeds the amount of state and federal adult basic education funds, other than those funds set aside, available in the 2008-2009 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 636 differs from the original by requiring the Texas Education Agency to allocate certain state and federal adult basic education funds based on need, rather than requiring a proportional allocation based on a specific need-based formula as outlined in the original. The substitute adds a provision not in the original making this requirement applicable only to the amount of state and federal adult basic education funds, excluding certain set aside funds, available for a school year that exceeds the amount of the same funds available in the 2008-2009 school year.