BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	C.S.S.B. 587
85R20834 MEW-F	By: Campbell
	Veteran Affairs & Border Security
	4/5/2017
	Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Currently, children of active military families are ineligible to attend virtual school without previously attending a Texas public school for at least one year. Families of military children move frequently due to reassignments and deployments, which causes breaks in the child's education. Many families choose to enroll their children in online virtual school to provide consistencies in their education from state to state. Unfortunately, military families in Texas are ineligible to participate in state-supported and funded virtual school education.

 

S.B. 587 allows students from military families flexibility to attend virtual online schools in Texas without having to first attend a public school in Texas for one year. S.B. 587 amends current law relating to virtual education for children of military members. (Original Author's / Sponsor's Statement of Intent)

 

C.S.S.B. 587 amends current law relating to the ability of certain students to enroll full-time in courses provided through the state virtual school network.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Section 30A.002(b), Education Code, as follows:

 

(b) Provides that a student is eligible to enroll full-time in courses provided through the state virtual school network only if the student:

 

(1)   makes no changes to this subdivision; or

 

(2)   regardless of whether the student was enrolled in a public school in this state in the preceding school year:

 

(A) �has been placed in substitute care in this state; or

 

(B)  �is a dependent of a member of the United States military who has been deployed or transferred to, or otherwise currently resides in, this state.

 

SECTION 2. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2017-2018 school year.

 

SECTION 3. Provides that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is required to implement this Act only if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose. Provides that TEA may, but is not required to, if the legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that purpose, implement this Act using other appropriations available for the purpose.

 

SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2017.