BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.S.B. 1094

By: Rodriguez

Public Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties assert that requiring a high school equivalency examination to be taken at an official testing center places a burden on working Texans who may find it difficult to find time to travel to and take the test at a testing center. C.S.S.B. 1094 seeks to address this problem by requiring the State Board of Education to develop rules and procedures relating to the availability of online testing for high school equivalency examinations.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the State Board of Education in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

C.S.S.B. 1094 amends the Education Code to require the State Board of Education by rule to develop and deliver high school equivalency examinations and provide for administration of the examinations online. The bill requires the rules to provide a procedure for verifying the identity of the person taking the examination and to prohibit a person under 18 years of age from taking the examination online. 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. 1094 differs from the original by requiring the State Board of Education by rule to develop and deliver high school equivalency examinations and provide for administration of the examinations online, whereas the original requires the board by rule, if the national entity that develops and delivers high school equivalency examinations authorizes online testing, to provide for administration of the examinations online. The substitute differs from the original by requiring the rules to prohibit a person under 18 years of age from taking the examination online, whereas the original contains no such requirement.