BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 4210

By: Lujan

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Local stakeholders in House District 118 have brought up the ambiguity in the Education Code in regards to school board appointments for military reservation school districts. There is disagreement surrounding the authority to participate in the selection and recommendation of such a district's board members. H.B. 4210 seeks to ensure local representation on the board of trustees of a military reservation school district by clarifying the officer responsible for furnishing the list of persons qualified to serve as members of such a district's board. The bill also aligns the terms for such a district's board members with traditional public schools and provides for a person who retires from active duty or civilian service to serve for the remainder of their term.

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. 4210 amends the Education Code to revise statutory provisions relating to the governance of a military reservation school district as follows:

·         authorizes a person who retires from active duty or civilian service while serving a term as a member of the district board of trustees to continue to serve for the remainder of that person's term;

·         changes the officer who is required to furnish to the district board the list of persons qualified to serve as members of the board from the commanding officer of the military reservation to the officer who is assigned to serve physically on the installation or military reservation on which the district is located and who provides leadership for the functional support of and contingency or emergency coordination for the district; and

·         changes from two years to three years the term length of trustees.

The bill's provisions expressly do not affect the entitlement of a member serving on an applicable district board immediately before the bill's effective date to continue to serve for the remainder of the member's two-year term. The bill requires the State Board of Education, as the terms of members expire, to appoint or reappoint members to serve three-year terms in accordance with the bill's provisions.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.