BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	H.B. 2827
87R2469 KJE-F	By: Gonz�lez, Mary (Zaffirini)
	Higher Education
	5/17/2021
	Engrossed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

In 2015, the Texas Legislature enacted legislation requiring the Center for Teaching and Learning at The University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin) to develop and make available postsecondary education and career counseling academies for public school counselors. The resulting program, Texas OnCourse, has been in operation since and provides training to more than 15,000 college and career advisors across the state, as well as developing various other college and career planning resources for students and educators.

 

Though successful in its current form, it has been suggested that transferring administration of the program to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) would allow the program to be expanded and scaled across the state. Accordingly, UT-Austin entered into a memorandum of understanding with THECB to transfer OnCourse personnel and assets to THECB, effective in January 2021. H.B. 2827 updates state law to reflect this transfer of responsibility.

 

H.B. 2827 amends current law relating to the transfer to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board of certain responsibilities relating to postsecondary education and career counseling.

 

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 Sections 33.009(a), (b), (c), (e), (h), and (i), Education Code, as follows:

 

(a) Defines, for purposes of Section 33.009 (Postsecondary Education and Career Counseling Academies) "coordinating board" to mean the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, rather than defines "center" to mean the Center for Teaching and Learning at The University of Texas at Austin.

 

(b), (c), (e), (h), and (i) Makes conforming changes to these subsections.

 

SECTION 2. Repealer: Sections 33.009(f) (relating to authorizing the center to access the P-20/Workforce Data Repository for certain purposes) and (j) (relating to the requirement that the center comply with any applicable provision of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974), Education Code.

 

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2021.