HBA-NLM H.B. 17 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 17
By: Goolsby
Public Education
3/24/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, school districts in Texas do not require public high school
students to participate in a specified number of community service hours
before receiving a high school diploma.  The addition of this requirement
to the curricula offers students job training and exposure to diversified
groups of people and social issues. H.B. 17 would require high school
students to complete 60 hours of community service before a graduation
certificate is issued. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Sections 28.025(a) and (b), Education Code, to expand
the requirements  for high school graduation and a diploma or for the
issuance of a certificate of course work completion to include the
successful completion of community service as required under Section
28.026. Makes conforming changes. 
 
SECTION 2. Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 28, Education Code, by adding
Section 28.026, as follows: 

Sec. 28.026.  COMMUNITY SERVICE REQUIREMENT. (a) Establishes that a high
school student may graduate and receive a diploma or certificate of course
work only if the student performs at least 60 hours of unpaid community
service during the student's high school career.  Provides exceptions to
the community service requirement in Subsections (d) and (e). 

(b) Requires each school district to develop a list of approved community
service organizations from which a student may select one or more
organizations to supervise and document the student's service. Requires the
school district to include a broad variety of organizations on the list
that reflect diverse activities and viewpoints and to permit a student to
propose a specific organization for consideration as an addition to the
list. 

(c) Requires a school district to give credit to a student for unpaid
community service hours accumulated while attending another school district
of this state if the hours were performed under the supervision of a
community service organization approved by the other district. 

(d) Requires a student who transfers after the ninth grade from a school
that is not subject to this section to perform a reduced number of hours of
unpaid community service prorated in accordance with the grade level at
which the student begins attendance in the  district subject to this
section. 

(e)  Requires the committee that develops an individualized education
program under Section 29.005 (Individualized Education Program) to
determine the community  service requirement for a student enrolled in a
special education program.  Authorizes the committee to waive or modify the
community service requirement as necessary. Prohibits the committee from
requiring a student to perform more than 60 hours of unpaid  community
service. 

SECTION 3. Provides that this Act applies to the 1999-2000 school year with
a prorated amount of service for 12th, 11th, and 10th grade students.  

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.
                       Effective date:  upon passage.