BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 374

By: Howard

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that parenthood is a leading reason that teen girls drop out of school. The parties express concern that compensatory education allotment funds available for supporting certain students who are at risk of dropping out of school, including students who are pregnant or are parents, are not used to cover the costs of child‐care services and related child‐care expenses. H.B. 374 seeks to provide for this use of allotment funds.

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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the commissioner of education in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 374 amends the Education Code to authorize funds allocated for the compensatory education allotment to be used to provide child-care services or assistance with child-care expenses for certain students at risk of dropping out of school or to pay the costs associated with services provided through a school district's life skills program for student parents, other than career counseling and job readiness training. The bill requires the commissioner of education, not later than January 1, 2018, to adopt rules requiring the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) to include pregnancy as a reason a student withdraws from or otherwise no longer attends public school.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, the 91st day after the last day of the legislative session.