BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1430

By: King, Susan

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, a student may earn an endorsement on the student's high school diploma and transcript in a variety of categories. Interested parties are concerned that mental health careers are not included among the health science-related career pathways under the public service endorsement. The parties emphasize that a student who is interested in a health and science career may not know as much about the availability of mental health careers as they do about other health science careers. H.B. 1430 seeks to address this concern and raise awareness of these career possibilities among students.

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. 1430 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Education Agency to ensure that any information provided to students relating to health science careers includes information regarding mental health professions. The bill requires such information, to the extent that the public services endorsement on the student's diploma and transcript includes information on health science career pathways, to include mental health careers as a possible pathway.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.