BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	C.S.S.B. 2497
88R25412 PRL-F	By: Middleton; Campbell
	Education
	4/27/2023
	Committee Report (Substituted)

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.

(Original Author's/Sponsor's Statement of Intent)

The committee substitute simply limits the amount of alternative language method programs that may be approved by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to $10 million per biennium, with instructions that TEA, to the extent possible, approve alternative language method programs representing a cross section of the state's schools.

C.S.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, Education Code, by adding Subsections (a-1) and (a-2), as follows:

(a-1) Requires TEA to review school districts that offer alternative language methods 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) and approve districts to receive the allotment under Subsection (a-2) for that biennium in a manner that provides not more than $10 million total under the allotment to school districts in each biennium. Requires TEA, in approving school districts to receive the allotment under this subsection, to the extent possible, to approve eligible school districts from a cross section of this state.

(a-2) Provides that a district, for each student in average daily attendance in an alternative language method approved by TEA under Section 29.054(d), and offered by a school district approved to receive the allotment under Subsection (a-1), is entitled to an annual allotment equal to the basic allotment multiplied by:

(1) 0.15 for an emergent bilingual student, as defined by Section 29.052 (Definitions), if the student is in an alternative language method using a dual language immersion/one-way or two-way program model; and

(2) 0.05 for a student not described by Subdivision (1), if the student is in an alternative language method using a dual language immersion/two-way program model.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2023.