BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.S.B. 49

By: Zaffirini

Public Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

A school district is currently required to offer a student in a disciplinary alternative education program the opportunity to complete coursework before the beginning of the next school year at no cost to the student. It has been suggested, however, that students and parents are not always fully informed of this obligation. C.S.S.B. 49 seeks to remedy this problem by setting out certain school district requirements regarding parental notification and documentation in connection with disciplinary alternative education programs.

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.S.B. 49 amends the Education Code to require a school district to provide the parents of a student removed to a disciplinary alternative education program with written notice of the district's obligation to provide the student with an opportunity to complete coursework required for graduation. The bill requires such notice to include information regarding all methods available for completing the coursework and state that the methods are available at no cost to the student. 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.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.S.B. 49 omits provisions included in the original requiring a school principal or other appropriate administrator to prepare and maintain documentation regarding each conference held following a student's disciplinary removal from class and setting out certain requirements for such documentation.