BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3204

By: Dutton

Public Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

H.B. 3, passed during the 86th Legislative Session, established a strong foundation for student achievement by creating a college, career, or military readiness outcomes bonus for high schools under the foundation school program. The bonus makes public school districts and charter schools eligible for up to $5,000 for each student who meets certain readiness indicators, above a threshold number of qualifying students established by the commissioner of education. There have been calls to build on this foundation by providing an alternative method for districts to demonstrate that a student is career ready for purposes of the bonus. C.S.H.B. 3204 seeks to address this issue by allowing a student to show proof of post-graduation employment at or above a specified wage threshold and by permitting districts to share a portion of the bonus with students who voluntarily report their post-graduation employment and wages.

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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the commissioner of education in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3204 amends the Education Code to establish an alternate method of demonstrating career readiness for the purposes of the college, career, or military readiness outcomes bonus under the foundation school program in which an annual graduate is counted as career ready if, during a period established by commissioner of education rule, the graduate is employed at or above a salary level equal to 150 percent of the median wage of jobs in Texas, as determined by commissioner rule. The bill requires the commissioner to adopt rules permitting a public school district to award to such a graduate who voluntarily reports the graduate's employment and salary information to the district a portion of the outcomes bonus to which the district is entitled for that graduate. The bill applies beginning with the 2023-2024 school year.    

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 3204 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 original set the salary required in order to demonstrate career readiness by the alternative method established by the bill at a minimum salary level established by commissioner rule, whereas the substitute specifies a salary level at or above 150 percent of the median wage of jobs in Texas, as determined by commissioner rule.