HBA-LCA H.B. 3474 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3474
By: Reyna, Arthur
Public Education
3/25/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, a school district that requires its students to wear
uniforms must provide uniforms to students classified as educationally
disadvantaged (students who qualify for the free or reducedcost lunch
program). This stipulation places a financial burden on districts with a
large population of students who qualify as educationally disadvantaged.
H.B. 3474 redefines the student population to whom the district must
provide uniforms as those students whose parents or guardians receive
welfare or unemployment benefits.  This bill eases the financial burden on
districts with a large population of students who are educationally
disadvantaged, but who wish to adopt a school uniform system. 

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 11.162(b), Education Code, to provides that the
rules adopted by a board of trustees of a school district requiring school
uniforms must designate a source of funding for providing uniforms to
students living with parents or legal guardians who receive welfare or
unemployment benefits, rather than students who are educationally
disadvantaged. 

SECTION 2.  Provides that this Act applies with the beginning of the
1999-2000 school year. 

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.