BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1581

By: Guerra

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

During the 87th Legislative Session, the legislature passed S.B. 560 requiring the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to develop a strategic plan to improve and expand bilingual education. That plan found that the current monitoring system for bilingual education programs focuses on compliance with state and federal law while lacking focus on the quality of those programs. The bill author has informed the committee that, through a stronger monitoring system that evaluates program quality and identifies program elements in need of improvement, TEA could identify school districts that need help improving their bilingual education programs, provide district assistance, and close learning gaps for emergent bilingual students. H.B. 1581 seeks to address this issue by providing for the adoption of a more robust system for the monitoring of bilingual education and special language programs and requiring the commissioner of education to develop training to increase school administrators' understanding of and improve student outcomes for bilingual education programs and dual language immersion programs.

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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Education Agency in SECTION 3 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1581 amends the Education Code to require the commissioner of education, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, to develop and make available training materials and other training resources to increase school administrators' understanding of and improve student outcomes for bilingual education programs and dual language immersion programs. The bill requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to adopt rules that provide for robust monitoring of bilingual education and special language programs. The rules must require TEA to do the following:

· review bilingual education and special language program requirements to ensure those requirements prioritize meeting student needs and closing learning gaps for emergent bilingual students; and

· engage directly with public school districts offering bilingual education or special language programs to improve outcomes for emergent bilingual students, including by identifying districts offering programs with deficiencies and providing technical assistance to those districts.

The bill authorizes the rules to include requiring districts that offer such programs to provide additional information relevant to the programs through PEIMS.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.