HBA-MPM H.B. 1251 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1251 By: Garcia Public Education 4/20/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, report cards do not provide a student's parent or guardian with statistical information regarding the number of students who dropped out of school prior to graduating. H.B. 1251 provides that a high school report card disseminated to a parent or other legal guardian of a student must include the number and percentage of students who started high school at that campus and dropped out of school before graduating for the most recent three- or four-year period, depending on the grade levels the campus offers. This bill also provides that the parent or guardian of a former campus student be provided this information after the student drops out of school RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority previously delegated to the commissioner of education is modified in SECTION 1 (Section 39.052, Education Code) and expressly delegated in SECTION 2 of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 39.052(c), Education Code, to provide that a report card relating to a high school campus that is disseminated to a parent or other person with lawful control of a student must include information concerning the number and percentage of students who started high school at that campus and dropped out of school before graduating for the most recent three- or four-year period, depending on the grade levels the campus offers. Provides that the parent or person with lawful control of a former campus student be provided this information as soon as practicable after the student drops out of school. Deletes "guardian" and "conservator" from a list of persons who annually receive the report cards, as per rules adopted by the commissioner of education (commissioner) regarding the dissemination of said report cards. SECTION 2. Provides that the commissioner shall adopt rules in accordance with this section no later than January 1, 2000. Makes this Act applicable to public school campus report cards for the 2000-2001 school year and after. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.