BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 771

By: Deshotel

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

According to interested parties, the Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities at Lamar University provides academically gifted and highly motivated junior and senior high school students with a challenging university-level curriculum and allows students to complete high school graduation requirements while attending a public institution of higher education for academic credit. The parties note that the academy does not receive certain funding despite operating under a tight budget with limited employees. H.B. 771 seeks to provide the academy with additional funds to enhance program initiatives, increase student services, expand support personnel, and further develop marketing and recruitment efforts to provide a wider selection of gifted and talented students opportunities for rigorous academic experience at the university level.

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 this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 771 amends the Education Code to change the status by which the Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities is considered, for purposes of its entitlement to Foundation School Program funding for each student enrolled at the academy, from a school district with a local share applied that is equivalent to the local fund assignment of the Beaumont Independent School District to a school district without a tier one local share for purposes of distribution from the foundation school fund, beginning with the 2015–2016 academic year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.