BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 54

By: Zaffirini

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been noted that students who travel outside a school district to attend classes primarily at regional day school programs for the deaf located within the district's physical boundaries are included in the ratings of that district for accountability purposes. Most of these districts, however, do not have authority over the instruction, curriculum, and assessment of these students. S.B. 54 seeks to gather data on ways the accountability system could be improved by requiring a study regarding appropriate methods and standards to evaluate these students.

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

S.B. 54 requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to conduct a study regarding appropriate methods and standards to evaluate the performance, separately from the performance of other students attending the district or campus in which the program is physically located, of a student who spends at least 50 percent of the instructional day participating in a regional day school program for the deaf and whose parent or person standing in parental relation to the student does not reside in the public school district providing program services. The bill requires TEA, not later than September 1, 2020, to provide a report of the study and any recommendations for legislative action to each standing committee of the legislature having primary jurisdiction over public education. These provisions expire September 1, 2021.

S.B. 54 establishes that TEA is required to implement a provision of the bill only if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose, and if the legislature does not make such an appropriation, TEA is authorized but not required to implement a provision using other appropriations available for such purpose.

EFFECTIVE DATE

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