BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2537

By: Guerra

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties suggest that students who are in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services may be unaware of the availability of education and training vouchers and tuition and fee waivers to attend a public institution of higher education. H.B. 2537 seeks to increase awareness by including related information among the information about postsecondary education that a public school counselor is required to provide to certain students at certain times.

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. 2537 amends the Education Code to include among the information about postsecondary education required to be provided by a school counselor to a student and the student's parent or guardian during the first school year a student is enrolled in a public high school or at the high school level in an open-enrollment charter school, and again during each year of a student's enrollment in high school or at the high school level, information regarding the availability of education and training vouchers and tuition and fee waivers to attend a public institution of higher education for a student who is or was previously in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services.

EFFECTIVE DATE

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