Honorable Dan Huberty, Chair, House Committee on Public Education
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB4140 by Bohac (Relating to the instructional materials and technology allotment, open education resource instructional materials, and the State Board of Education long-range technology plan.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Education Code to define an open education resource; replace open source instructional materials with open education resource instructional materials, rename the instructional materials fund the instructional materials and technology fund; and rename the instructional materials allotment the instructional materials and technology allotment.
The bill would require the SBOE to consider a school district's need for technology as well as instructional materials in reviewing and adopting instructional materials, and would allow the SBOE to limit the adoption of instructional materials to provide sufficient resources to purchase technology resources. The bill would require the SBOE to include information regarding open education resource instructional materials during the adoption cycle. The bill would require the SBOE to update the long-range plan for technology at least every five years. The bill would require school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to consider the use of open education resource instructional materials and certify to the SBOE that the district considered the selection of open education resource instructional materials in selecting materials each year.
TEA indicates minimal costs associated with implementing the provisions of the bill; however, this analysis estimates those costs can be absorbed within the agency's existing resources.
Local Government Impact
School districts and open-enrollment charter schools would incur costs associated with considering the use of open education resource instructional materials and certifying this process to the SBOE. TEA estimates the costs would vary among districts, but would likely be nominal.