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BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

H.B. 1540

By: Rodriguez, Justin

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Interested parties contend that students often accumulate excess credits in college due to uncertainty regarding their eventual major or field of study, which can negatively impact the student's ability to achieve desired postsecondary goals. H.B. 1540 seeks to prevent such an impact by requiring high school students to be annually provided information regarding the importance of selecting a major or field of study before or soon after enrollment at a postsecondary educational institution and the related consequences of delaying that decision.

 

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. 1540 amends the Education Code to include among the information about postsecondary education a public school counselor is required to provide to a student and the student's parent or guardian during the first school year the student is enrolled in high school or at the high school level in an open-enrollment charter school, and again during each year of the student's enrollment in high school or at the high school level, information regarding the importance of selecting a major or field of study before, or as soon as possible after, enrollment at a postsecondary educational institution and the potential consequences of delaying that decision, particularly if the student intends to transfer between postsecondary educational institutions. 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.