BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 832

By: Davis

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under current law, a school district must appoint at least one employee to act as a liaison officer to assist students in the conservatorship of the state with school enrollments and transfers. Interested parties note that the Texas Education Agency does not have enough information regarding employees appointed to the position of liaison in Texas school districts and that liaison officers do not receive valuable training for this role. S.B. 832 seeks to provide school districts and open-enrollment charter schools in Texas with well-prepared liaisons so that the education of foster children is properly supported.

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. 832 amends the Education Code to require each open-enrollment charter school to appoint at least one employee to act as a liaison officer to facilitate the enrollment in or transfer to an open-enrollment charter school of a child in the area served by the charter school who is in the conservatorship of the state.  The bill requires each school district and open-enrollment charter school to submit the name and contact information of an applicable liaison to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in a format under the schedule determined by the commissioner of education. The bill requires TEA to provide information to such liaisons on practices for facilitating the enrollment in or transfer to a public school or open-enrollment charter school of children who are in the conservatorship of the state.

EFFECTIVE DATE

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