BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3648

By: Guillen

Youth Health & Safety, Select

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, the board of directors of the Texas School Safety Center does not include representation of children with special needs. When making decisions on what is necessary for schools regarding increasing the safety of students and staff, it can be easy to overlook changes that may actually be problematic for children with special needs. For example, a child in a wheelchair may have trouble accessing secure vestibules, and without representation on the board, this issue would not be acknowledged until after the changes have been implemented. H.B. 3648 seeks to provide a remedy by including a public school district's director of special education services on the board of directors of the Texas School Safety Center.

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. 3648 amends the Education Code to include a public school district's director of special education services among the members who must be appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, to the board of directors of the Texas School Safety Center. The bill requires the member to be appointed not later than February 1, 2024, and sets the member's term to expire on February 1 of each even-numbered year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.