AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Over the last decade, interested parties note, the legislature has directed the Texas Education Agency to reduce the number and type of written reports and other paperwork it requires of school districts. Despite this effort, the parties continue, there are both federal and state compliance, monitoring, and accountability systems relating to special education that districts must manage, along with the attendant paperwork. The parties suggest that managing and responding to multiple monitoring systems, many of which monitor the same requirements, diverts resources from students with disabilities to administrative functions and that the various due dates unique to each system leave district leaders confused, parents dissatisfied, and students' folder contents receiving more attention than student achievement growth. H.B. 1706 seeks to address this issue.

 

H.B. 1706 amends current law relating to reducing paperwork and duplicate reports required of a school district.

 

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 7.060, Education Code, by adding Subsection (a-1), as follows:

 

(a-1)  Requires that the review conducted under Subsection (a) (requiring the commissioner of education to review and reduce written reports and other paperwork) include a comparison of the reports and paperwork required by state law and the reports and paperwork required by federal law.  Requires the commissioner of education to eliminate any reports or paperwork required by state law that duplicate the content of reports or paperwork also required by federal law.

 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 11.201(d), Education Code, to provide that the duties of the superintendent include submitting reports as required by state or federal law, rule, or regulation, and ensuring that a copy of any report required by federal law, rule, or regulation is also delivered to the Texas Education Agency.

 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2015.