BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 65
86R3266 MP-D	By: Johnson, Eric (West)
	Education
	5/3/2019
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Interested parties note that there is a lack of data available on out-of-school suspensions in Texas. They contend that this lack of data prevents policymakers from being able to craft informed policies relating to school discipline.

This bill seeks to close this gap in data by requiring school districts to include certain information on out-of-school suspensions in a report that is already created to report data on expulsions and disciplinary alternative education programs.  

H.B. 65 amends current law relating to reporting information regarding public school disciplinary actions.

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 the heading to Section 37.020, Education Code, to read as follows:

Sec. 37.020. REPORTS RELATING TO OUT-OF-SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS, EXPULSIONS, AND DISCIPLINARY ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM PLACEMENTS.

SECTION 2. Amends Section 37.020, Education Code, by adding Subsection (f), as follows:

(f) Requires a school district, for each out-of-school suspension under Section 37.005 (Suspension), to report:

(1) information identifying the student, including the student's race, sex, and date of birth, that will enable the Texas Education Agency to compare placement data with information collected through other reports;

(2) information indicating the basis for the suspension;

(3) the number of full or partial days the student was suspended; and

(4) the number of out-of-school suspensions that were inconsistent with the guidelines included in the student code of conduct under Section 37.001(a)(3) (relating to requiring the student code of conduct, in addition to establishing standards for student conduct, to outline certain conditions under which a student is authorized to be suspended or expelled).

SECTION 3. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2019�2020 school year.

SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2019.