BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 185

By: Deuell

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Several years ago, an interim joint committee composed of legislators and dyslexia experts was charged with studying early detection and treatment of dyslexia in Texas. Several of the committee's recommendations subsequently were enacted by the Texas Legislature, including a recommendation that Texas develop a method to count the number of public school students identified as having dyslexia. Interested parties note that state law has for decades required schools to identify and treat dyslexia, but that it can be difficult to understand the problem's scope and how it is being addressed without having a count of the number of dyslexic students. S.B. 185 seeks to address this concern by establishing school district reporting requirements regarding the number of students who have been identified as having dyslexia.

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

S.B. 185 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.