BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3836

By: Giddings

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

According to interested parties, Texas is currently experiencing a shortage of qualified and certified teachers in early childhood education, especially in prekindergarten through grade three. The parties note that the shortage results in children being taught by educators teaching outside of their areas of certification and that it is imperative that children be taught by the most qualified teachers in this early stage of their educational journey. The parties assert that this shortage that could be addressed by allowing public junior colleges to offer a baccalaureate program in early childhood education. H.B. 3836 attempts to alleviate the shortage.

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. 3836 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to authorize a baccalaureate degree program in early childhood education at each public junior college located in a county with a population of greater than one million if the county has a demonstrated initial need for at least 3,000 early childhood educators, the degree program curriculum is approved by the independent school districts located in the county that collectively represent at least 51 percent of the student population enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade, and a regional public university located in the county or an immediately adjacent county is unable to fulfill certain conditions by certain deadlines established by the bill.

H.B. 3836 prohibits the coordinating board from subsequently terminating authorization to offer an early childhood baccalaureate degree program on the ground that implementation of the degree program reduces the workforce need to a level that is below the minimal threshold of 3,000 early childhood educators. The bill limits the funding of a degree program to a public junior college's proportionate share of state appropriations, local funds, and private sources and expressly does not require the legislature to appropriate state funds to support a degree program.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.