BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3076

By: Deshotel

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The 80th Texas Legislature, in 2007, enacted H.B. 2176 requiring a school district to incorporate a parenting and paternity awareness program, developed by the State Board of Education in conjunction with the office of the attorney general, in the high school health curriculum.

However, according to some studies, the problem starts long before high school, with an estimated 14 percent of 6th graders, 20 percent of 7th graders, and 30 percent of 8th graders reported as being sexually active and more than 1,200 13 to 14 year old girls getting pregnant each year.

H.B. 3076 extends the parenting and paternity awareness program to middle and junior high schools.  The bill allows a school district to develop or adopt research-based local programs and curriculum materials for use in conjunction with the program and authorizes the Texas Education Agency to evaluate such programs and curriculum materials and distribute them to other school districts.

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. 3076 amends the Education Code to expand the parenting and paternity awareness program developed jointly by the State Board of Education and the office of the attorney general by requiring a school district to use the program in the district's middle and junior high school health curriculum, as well as in the district's high school health curriculum and requiring the program to address skills relating to the prevention of family violence in district middle and junior high schools that do not have a family violence prevention program, as well as in district high schools that do not have such a program.

H.B. 3076 requires a school district to provide high school health credit to a student enrolled in a middle or junior high school who successfully completes a course that includes the parenting and paternity awareness program.

H.B. 3076 authorizes a school district to develop or adopt research-based local programs and curriculum materials for use in conjunction with the program.  The bill authorizes local programs and curriculum materials to provide instruction in child development; parenting skills, including child abuse and neglect prevention; and assertiveness skills to prevent teenage pregnancy, abusive relationships, and family violence.

H.B. 3076 authorizes the Texas Education Agency to evaluate such local programs and curriculum materials and to distribute to other school districts information regarding those programs and materials.

H.B. 3076 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.