BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 128

By: Hinojosa

Public Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are concerns that, while public school districts are required to assess the physical fitness of most students, parents often are unaware that such an assessment is performed, do not receive the results of their child's assessment, or are unaware of their ability to request their child's assessment. C.S.H.B. 128 seeks to alleviate these concerns by requiring schools to provide parents with a copy of their child's physical fitness assessment results.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 128 amends the Education Code to require a public school district to provide a parent with a copy of the results of the physical fitness assessment of the parent's child not later than the last day of the school year. The bill requires the results provided to a parent to be clear, precise, and easy to understand. The bill changes the statement regarding parental access to such results that a district is required to publish in the student handbook and, if applicable, post on the district's website from a statement providing notice to parents that they can request in writing their child's physical fitness assessment results at the end of the school year to a statement providing notice that the district will provide a parent with a copy of those results at the end of the school year. The bill's provisions apply beginning with the 2019-2020 school year. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 128 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute includes a requirement for the results of the physical fitness assessment provided to a parent to be clear, precise, and easy to understand.