BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1332

By: Maldonado

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

As schools become more technologically advanced, so too does the equipment that schools provide to their students. Statute must evolve to reflect these changes.

H.B. 1332 closes a statutory loophole and allows a school to recoup the cost of textbooks, electronic textbooks, laptop computers, and all electronic equipment from students or their parents if they are not returned to the school. In certain circumstances, the school district can waive the payment if the student is from a low-income family.

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

H.B. 1332 amends the Education Code to include technological equipment and electronic textbooks in the materials that each student, or the student's parent or guardian, is responsible for returning at the end of the school year or on the student's withdrawal from school, and it makes the failure to return an electronic textbook or technological equipment subject to the same consequences that apply to the failure to return all textbooks, including forfeiture of the student's right to free textbooks and electronic textbooks and technological equipment until each item is paid for by the student, parent, or guardian and the possible withholding of student records. The bill makes its provisions applicable beginning with the 2009-2010 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the act does not receive the necessary vote, the act takes effect September 1, 2009.