BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1703

By: Martinez Fischer

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, a school district must follow certain guidelines in scheduling various state-administered tests. In some instances, tests have been scheduled on election days.  This has forced some schools to choose between possibly disturbing the testing environment by allowing school facilities to be used as polling places, or closing school facilities to voting.  Changing voting locations could cause confusion that would negatively impact voter turnout.

H.B. 1703 seeks to address this issue by requiring certain statewide tests to be administered on a date other than a uniform election date.

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. 1703 amends the Education Code to include among the State Board of Education requirements in adopting a schedule for the administration of certain statewide tests that the administration of the standardized statewide tests to students in public elementary schools and the end-of-course tests to students in public secondary schools be administered on a date other than a uniform election date. The bill makes its provisions applicable beginning with the 2011-2012 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2011.