BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3597

By: Metcalf

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are concerns about the statutory language relating to the implementation of a school safety plan and emergency management procedures in Texas public schools. H.B. 3597 seeks to address this concern by updating language regarding a school safety plan to protect against a train derailment, requiring school safety and security memoranda of understanding to be shared with the Texas School Safety Center, and providing for Texas State University access to certain criminal history record information. 

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

H.B. 3597 amends the Government Code to entitle Texas State University to obtain from the Department of Public Safety criminal history record information that relates to a person who is registering with the Texas School Safety Center to provide school safety or security consulting services.

H.B. 3597 amends the Education Code to change from six months after a public school district's initial notification date to three months after that date the deadline that triggers the Texas School Safety Center's public hearing notification requirement if a district has still not reported its safety and security audit results to the center.

H.B. 3597 requires each district that enters into a memorandum of understanding or mutual aid agreement relating to school safety and security to provide a copy of the memorandum or agreement to the center and establishes the confidentiality of such a memorandum or agreement under state public information law.

H.B. 3597 extends the applicability of the requirement for a district with a school located within 1,000 yards of a railroad track to adopt a train derailment response policy to include a district with any school district facility located within that area.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.