BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1494

By: Uresti

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Recent legislation sought to assist high school students in substitute care with graduation requirements. Interested parties note that, like students in substitute care, students who are classified as homeless face hurdles in their personal lives that can have detrimental effects on their ability to succeed in school. The parties suggest that the law should be amended so Texas can ensure that student records are promptly transferred to each high school attended by a student who is homeless, that course credit is awarded when applicable, and that schools are encouraged to provide such students assistance with college and scholarship applications. These simple measures, the parties conclude, would help negate a few of the negative externalities of being homeless and work to raise the graduation rate among Texas' homeless student population. S.B. 1494 seeks to amend current law relating to the educational needs of homeless 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

S.B. 1494 amends the Education Code to include students who are homeless among the students the transition of whom the Texas Education Agency is required to assist from one school to another by certain measures. The bill requires a school district from which an 11th or 12th grade student who is homeless transfers, if the student meets the graduation requirements of that district but is ineligible to graduate from the district to which the student transfers, to award a diploma at the student's request. The bill establishes that the term "student who is homeless" has the meaning assigned to the term "homeless children and youths" under certain federal law and that the bill's provisions apply beginning with the 2015–2016 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

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