BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1619

By: Duncan

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under a provision of current law, a school district is not required to pay a student's tuition or other associated costs for taking a course that provides college credit under a college credit program. This provision is set to expire on September 1, 2011.

According to interested parties, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) sent notice to school districts roughly three years ago stating that a district could not count students in attendance for state funding purposes in dual credit courses if those students were charged any tuition, fees, or textbook costs. Because of concerns raised by legislators, the TEA delayed implementing that policy until the legislature had a chance to address it, which the legislature did by allowing districts, until September 1, 2011, to continue to count such students in attendance for state funding purposes.

S.B. 1619 seeks to address these issues by amending current law relating to the participation of public high school students in college credit 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

S.B. 1619 amends the Education Code to extend from September 1, 2011, to September 1, 2013, the expiration date of the provision of law exempting a school district from being required to pay a district student's tuition or other associated costs for taking a course for college credit under a college credit program.

S.B. 1619 amends Section 42.005(g), Education Code, as effective on September 1, 2011, to specify that the time during which a student attends a course provided under a college credit program by a public institution of higher education is required to be counted as part of the minimum number of instructional hours required for a student to be considered a full-time student in average daily attendance.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, August 31, 2011.