AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Under the Education Code, each school district is required to appoint at least one employee to act as a liaison officer to students in the conservatorship of the state. A liaison officer assists these students with school enrollments and transfers. Currently, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is not required to maintain a statewide list of employees appointed to the position of liaison in Texas school districts and liaison officers are not required to receive training. These issues can be addressed by creating a master list of all the employed liaison officers and requiring training for these liaisons.
C.S.S.B. 832 requires TEA to maintain a list of all school liaisons and provide training and information to the liaisons on the best practices for facilitating the enrollment in or transfer to a public school or open-enrollment charter school of children in foster care. Requiring TEA to maintain a master list will provide greater accountability by certifying that these liaisons are in place across the state. Existing training materials could be more effectively and efficiently administered if a list was made readily available. With C.S.S.B. 832, school districts and open-enrollment charter schools in Texas can guarantee that there are liaisons in place at schools and ensure that the education of foster children is being properly supported.
C.S.S.B. 832 amends current law relating to training for school district and open-enrollment charter school liaisons who assist students in the conservatorship of the state with school enrollments and transfers.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 33.904, Education Code, as follows:
Sec. 33.904. LIAISON FOR CERTAIN CHILDREN IN CONSERVATORSHIP OF STATE. (a) Creates this subsection from existing text. Requires each school district and open-enrollment charter school to:
(1) appoint at least one employee to act as a liaison officer to facilitate the enrollment in or transfer to a public school or open-enrollment charter school of a child in the district or area served by the charter school who is in the conservatorship of the state; and
(2) submit the liaison's name and contact information to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in a format and under the schedule determined by the commissioner of education.
(b) Requires TEA to provide information to the 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.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2013.