BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1264

By: Huberty

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, public schools are required to identify and instruct students with dyslexia. However, interested parties are concerned that policy makers do not have sufficient statewide data indicating how many students are identified as having the disorder.  These parties contend that there is a need to report the number of students identified with dyslexia through the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS). H.B. 1264 seeks to ensure that decision-makers are informed as they allocate resources to support teachers and serve such students by implementing reporting requirements.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

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

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1264 amends the Education Code to require the commissioner of education by rule to require each school district and open-enrollment charter school to report through the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) information regarding the number of students enrolled in the district or school who are identified as having dyslexia. The bill requires the Texas Education Agency to maintain this information.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2013.