BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1451

By: Guillen

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note the effectiveness of dual language immersion programs in elementary schools and suggest that schools could be encouraged to offer such programs, and students could be encouraged to enroll in the programs, if one of the two foreign language credits required in the public high school graduation requirements could be satisfied by completing such an immersion program. H.B. 1451 seeks to provide for the satisfaction of one of the required credits through the successful completion of a dual language immersion program at an elementary school.

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. 1451 amends the Education Code to require the State Board of Education in adopting rules relating to the foundation high school program curriculum requirements to adopt criteria to allow a student to comply with the curriculum requirement for one credit of the two required in a language other than English by successfully completing a dual language immersion program at an elementary school.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2017.