BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2090

By: Manuel

Youth Health & Safety, Select

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Violence is a regular experience for many students in Texas. An elective course may educate students on preventative measures of abuse and related resources and may better prepare students for issues relating to mental health, family violence, sexual assault awareness, gun safety, and overall community safety. C.S.H.B. 2090 seeks to address the importance of educating students on these issues by providing for an elective course for students in grade 12 on community safety, firearm safety, and mental health.

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

C.S.H.B. 2090 amends the Education Code to authorize a public school district or open-enrollment charter school to offer to students in grade 12 an elective course on community safety, firearm safety, and mental health that meets curriculum requirements under state law for an elective credit and includes the following instruction:

· during the first half of the course for which a student may earn one-half elective credit, instruction relating to self-defense tactics, mental health education, and prevention of family violence and sexual assault, including relevant family violence and sexual assault education; and

· during the second half of the course for which a student may earn one-half elective credit, instruction relating to firearm safety, including relevant firearm education, information on state and federal laws governing the use of firearms, and information contained in the classroom instruction portion of the handgun proficiency course required under state law for a handgun license.

C.S.H.B. 2090 requires a student to satisfactorily complete the first half of the elective course in order to enroll in the second semester of the course. If during the course of instruction, a student enrolled in such a course discloses to the teacher that the student has been a victim of or is experiencing issues relating to family violence, sexual assault, or mental health, the teacher is required by the bill to provide the student with information regarding appropriately licensed health professionals. The bill applies beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2023.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 2090 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

Whereas the substitute provides for a student to earn one-half elective credit per half of the course completed, the introduced did not specify that credit amount to be earned during the first and second semesters of the course and provided instead for a student to earn full course credit if the student meets the following conditions, which is not provided for in the substitute:

· satisfactorily completes the first semester of the course;

· not later than the beginning of the second semester of the course, meets the eligibility requirements for obtaining a handgun license in Texas; and

· instead of enrolling in the second semester of the course, completes the handgun proficiency course required for a handgun license.

Additionally, whereas the introduced required the course instruction to include relevant family violence, sexual assault, and firearm statistics, the substitute requires the course instruction to include relevant family violence, sexual assault, and firearm education.

The substitute includes a provision not in the introduced that requires a teacher to provide information to a student regarding licensed health professionals if the student makes certain disclosures to the teacher.