BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 731

By: Lucio III

Public Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties, noting the benefits of prekindergarten programs, point to a need for additional half-day prekindergarten funding for school districts, such as Cameron County's Brownsville I.S.D. and others. The parties explain that while some low-income students currently qualify for free state-funded prekindergarten, many other low-income families do not. C.S.H.B. 731 seeks to address this need by providing more students the opportunity to attend half-day prekindergarten.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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

C.S.H.B. 731 amends the Education Code to require the commissioner of education to provide prekindergarten funding to a school district located in a county that borders the United Mexican States and the Gulf of Mexico as a pilot program to enable the state to evaluate the benefit of providing additional funding at the prekindergarten level for low-income students. The bill requires the commissioner to provide funding for a school district's prekindergarten program on a half-day basis for a number of low-income prekindergarten students equal to twice the number of students who received, as a result of participation in an early high school graduation program operated by the district, a high school diploma from the district during the preceding school year after three years of secondary school attendance. The bill authorizes the commissioner to adopt rules necessary to implement the bill's provisions. The bill's provisions expire September 1, 2023.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 731 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

INTRODUCED	HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
SECTION 1.  Section 28.0255(b), Education Code, is amended to read as follows: (b)  This section applies only to a school district: (1)  with an enrollment of more than 150,000 students[;] and [(2)]  located primarily in a county with [that has] a population of 2.2 million or more [and] that is adjacent to a county with a population of more than 600,000; or (2)  located in a county that borders the United Mexican States and the Gulf of Mexico.	No equivalent provision.
No equivalent provision.	SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 42, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 42.2527 to read as follows: Sec. 42.2527.  ADJUSTMENT FOR CERTAIN DISTRICTS WITH EARLY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION PROGRAMS.  (a)  As a pilot program to enable the state to evaluate the benefit of providing additional funding at the prekindergarten level for low-income students, the commissioner shall provide prekindergarten funding in accordance with this section to a school district located in a county that borders the United Mexican States and the Gulf of Mexico. (b)  The commissioner shall provide funding for a school district's prekindergarten program on a half-day basis for a number of low-income prekindergarten students equal to twice the number of students who received, as a result of participation in an early high school graduation program operated by the district, a high school diploma from the district during the preceding school year after three years of secondary school attendance. (c)  The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to implement this section. (d)  This section expires September 1, 2023.
SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015.	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.