BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1702

By: Howard

Higher Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Recent legislative efforts have created the position of campus liaison officer to provide assistance specifically to university students who were formerly in foster care. There are indications, however, that many such students are unaware of the services provided by these officers. C.S.H.B. 1702 seeks to address this issue by providing for methods to connect these students with the liaison officer at the appropriate institution.

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. 1702 amends the Education Code to extend the duties of a designated liaison officer for current and incoming students at a public institution of higher education who were formerly in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to current and incoming students who are currently in such conservatorship. The bill requires such an institution, to the extent allowed by state or federal law, to identify the students who are or were in such conservatorship from information provided to the institution by admission or financial aid applications or other available resources and, each semester or academic term, to provide to the institution's liaison officer the names of and information regarding those students.

C.S.H.B. 1702 authorizes the liaison officer to participate in any training that enables the officer to carry out the officer's duties and coordinate with liaison officers at other educational institutions. The bill requires each institution, not later than January 1, 2020, to publicize the name of and contact information for the institution's liaison officer and information regarding applicable support services and other resources available at the institution.

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. 1702 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 students who are currently in the conservatorship of DFPS in the scope of responsibilities of the liaison officer.

The substitute specifies the process by which the names of students for whom the liaison officer is responsible are provided to the liaison officer.