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BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

C.S.H.B. 1516

By: Leach

Public Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Interested parties suggest that public school districts are currently incentivized to keep as many students in the classroom as possible for purposes of state funding, which can result in students who would otherwise be excused from school as a reward for exemplary performance being required to attend school with no substantive work to complete while their fellow students take final exams. C.S.H.B. 1516 seeks to address this issue by authorizing a district to excuse from school attendance a student who is exempt from the administration of a final examination.

 

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

 

C.S.H.B. 1516 amends the Education Code to authorize a public school district to excuse a student from attending school during the administration of a final examination for a course in which the student is enrolled if the school district allows the student, because of a good attendance record and high student academic achievement, to be exempt from the administration of the final examination. The bill includes a student whose absence is so excused among the students with excused absences who are prohibited from being penalized for that absence and who are required to be counted as if the student attended school for purposes of calculating the average daily attendance of students in the school district. The bill applies beginning with the 2017-2018 school year.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

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

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

 

While C.S.H.B. 1516 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

 

INTRODUCED

HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

SECTION 1.  Section 25.087, Education Code, is amended by adding Subsection (d-1) to read as follows:

 

(d-1)  A school district may excuse a student from attending school during the administration of a final examination for a course in which the student is enrolled if the school district allows the student, because of a good attendance record and high student academic achievement, to be exempt from the administration of the final examination. 

 

A student whose absence is excused under this subsection may not be penalized for that absence and shall be counted as if the student attended school for purposes of calculating the average daily attendance of students in the school district.

 

SECTION 1.  Section 25.087, Education Code, is amended by adding Subsection (b-7) and amending Subsection (d) to read as follows:

(b-7)  A school district may excuse a student from attending school during the administration of a final examination for a course in which the student is enrolled if the school district allows the student, because of a good attendance record and high student academic achievement, to be exempt from the administration of the final examination.

 

(d)  A student whose absence is excused under Subsection (b), (b-1), (b-2), (b-4), (b-7), or (c) may not be penalized for that absence and shall be counted as if the student attended school for purposes of calculating the average daily attendance of students in the school district.  A student whose absence is excused under Subsection (b), (b-1), (b-2), (b-4), or (c) shall be allowed a reasonable time to make up school work missed on those days.  If the student satisfactorily completes the school work, the day of absence shall be counted as a day of compulsory attendance.

SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 2017-2018 school year.

SECTION 2. Same as introduced version.

SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2017.

SECTION 3. Same as introduced version.