BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 2120
87R16664 BDP-F	By: Bell, Keith et al. (Perry)
	Education
	5/11/2021
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The board of trustees of an independent school district has an array of duties that board members have the responsibility to implement. One of those duties is to adopt a process through which district personnel, students or the parents or guardians of students, and members of the public may obtain a hearing from the district administrators and the board regarding a complaint or grievance. Although a school board must adopt a process to address complaints and grievances brought to the district's attention, current law does not codify what that process will entail or how long the grievance process will take. This leaves members of the public, district personnel, vendors, parents, and students at the mercy of the school board administration with very little control over the matter and with no reasonable timeline in which the matter will be resolved.

H.B. 2120 seeks to address these issues by codifying the process by which school board administrators in independent school districts process complaints and grievances.

H.B. 2120 amends current law relating to school district hearings regarding complaints.

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 Section 11.1511(b), Education Code, as follows:

(b) Requires the board of trustees of a school district (board) to by rule, adopt a process through which district personnel, students or the parents or guardians of students, and members of the public may obtain a hearing from the district administrators and the board regarding a complaint that is required to, unless otherwise provided by law, include an initial administrative hearing and an opportunity to appeal the administrative decision following the initial hearing, and that is required to, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties, provide for a resolution of the complaint not later than 120 calendar days after the date on which the complaint was filed.

SECTION 2. Requires the board to adopt a process for a hearing in accordance with Section 11.1511(b), Education Code, as amended by this Act, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2021.