Honorable Brad Buckley, Chair, House Committee on Public Education
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2189 by Howard (relating to methods to improve health profession-related career and technology education and dual credit programs offered by public schools.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Costs related to making high-quality instructional materials available at no cost to school districts cannot be determined.
No other significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would require the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to provide high-quality instructional materials at no costs to public schools for health profession-related career and technical education programs. Costs for providing instructional materials at no cost to school districts cannot be determined. If the agency is able to secure materials utilizing open education resource provisions, the agency could provide those within existing resources. If the agency develops course materials, TEA estimates a two-and-a-half-year cycle would be needed for development of the first 6 courses, at an estimated cost of $8.2 million in the 2026-27 biennium, including 3.0 FTEs. There are currently 47 approved health science courses.
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), in coordination with TEA, would be required to study the feasibility of creating certain partnerships to share educational laboratory resources and submit a report to the Legislature. This analysis assumes the costs to THECB could be absorbed with existing resources.
The bill would require TEA, THECB, and the Texas Workforce Commission to review the curriculum of health profession-related dual credit courses and submit a report to the Legislature. State agencies could implement the provisions of the bill with existing resources.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.