Honorable Dan Huberty, Chair, House Committee on Public Education
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB1481 by Taylor, Larry (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 2nd 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 allow school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to consider the use of open education resource instructional materials in selecting materials each year.
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.
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
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.