HBA-LCA H.B. 1964 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1964 By: Howard Public Education 4/20/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In recent years, it has become more important for children to learn to read at earlier ages. H.B. 1964 includes pre-reading among those subjects that the Texas Education Agency must adopt appropriate criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess competencies of students. 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 Section 39.023(a), Education Code, to include pre-reading among the areas for which the Texas Education Agency (agency) is required to adopt criterion-referenced assessment instruments. Requires assessment of students in pre-reading, including phoneme awareness, letter sound knowledge, and letter knowledge, between pre-kindergarten and first grade. Redesignates Subdivisions 2-3 as Subdivisions 3-4. SECTION 2. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 1999-2000 school year. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.