LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 85TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
May 25, 2017

TO:
Honorable Joe Straus, Speaker of the House, House of Representatives
 
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB1342 by Parker (Relating to child sexual abuse prevention training for public school students.), As Passed 2nd House

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Education Code to add more specific detail and a reporting requirement to the current requirement that school districts provide child abuse anti-victimization programs in elementary and secondary schools.

The bill would require each school district to include in their child abuse anti-victimization programs annual, age-appropriate, research-based child sexual abuse prevention training. The bill would require school districts to submit a description of the training on their website or in handbooks distributed to parents. The bill would require the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to compile a list of objectives that must be met by a school district's training. The bill would also require each school district to submit to TEA a report on the number and percentage of students enrolled in the district who attended the training during the preceding school year. The bill would take effect immediately if passed within the necessary voting margins, or September 1, 2017, and would apply beginning with school year 2017-18.

The agency estimates there would be a minimal cost associated with implementing the provisions of the bill. However, this analysis assumes that the bill could be implemented with existing agency resources. 

Local Government Impact

School districts would incur costs to purchase or develop a new program if not currently using age-appropriate or research-based training. Costs would vary depending on the type of programs already in place and made available. School districts also may incur minimal costs to add the required information to handbooks or websites.


Source Agencies:
701 Texas Education Agency
LBB Staff:
UP, RSt, THo, AM, AW