BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 2497
88R6541 JES-F	By: Middleton; Campbell
	Education
	4/11/2023
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

In 2019 the legislature passed an omnibus education reform bill, H.B. 3, which included a provision to include a weighted allotment of 0.15 for students who enrolled in a bilingual education program. However, alternative language educational methods, are often taught by educators who have approved exemptions to bilingual certifications. This leads to effective language programs only receiving partial funding at a level of 0.10 in this model.

S.B. 2497 would allow school districts and charter schools that offer alternative language educational methods to receive a weighted allotment of 0.15 for students enrolled in the programs. The bill also directs the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) to report additional information, and classify the methods of instructions under these programs.

As proposed, S.B. 2497 amends current law relating to the bilingual education allotment under the public school finance system.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 29.054, Education Code, by adding Subsection (e), as follows:

(e) Authorizes the Texas Education Agency (TEA), notwithstanding Section 29.066(c) (relating to requiring that a bilingual education or special language program, for certain circumstances, be classified under the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) report as "no bilingual education or special language services provided"), to require, for purposes of implementing Section 48.105 (Bilingual Education Allotment), a school district that is granted an exception under Section 29.054 (Exception) to:

(1) include in the district's PEIMS report additional information specified by TEA and relating to the alternative language education methods used by the district; and

(2) classify the alternative language education method used by the district under the PEIMS report as specified by TEA.

SECTION 2. Amends Section 48.105(a), Education Code, as follows:

(a) Provides that a district, for each student in average daily attendance in a bilingual education or special language program under Subchapter B (Bilingual Education and Special Language Programs), Chapter 29, or an alternative language method offered by a school district and approved by TEA under Section 29.054(d) (relating to requiring the district to use alternative methods approved by TEA to meet the needs of its emergent bilingual students, including hiring teaching personnel under a bilingual emergency permit), is entitled to an annual allotment equal to the basic allotment multiplied by:

(1) for an emergent bilingual student, as defined by Section 29.052 (Definitions):

(A) makes no changes to this paragraph; or

(B) 0.15 if the student is in an alternative language method offered by a school district and approved by TEA under Section 29.054(d) using a dual language immersion/one-way or two-way program model; and

(2) for a student not described by Subdivision (1), 0.05 if the student is in an alternative language method offered by a school district and approved by TEA under Section 29.054(d) using a dual language immersion/two-way program model.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2023.