HBA-JRA H.B. 648 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 648
By: Flores
Public Education
3/5/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, school district improvement plans are not required to include
strategies for providing middle, junior, and high schools  students and
their parents with information on higher education and financial aid
opportunities.  H.B. 648 requires school district improvement plans to
include such strategies and the commissioner of education to develop
guidelines for providing middle, junior, and high school students and their
parents with information on higher education, including financial aid
opportunities. 

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 11.252(a), Education Code, to include provisions
for strategies for providing middle school, junior high school, and high
school students with information about higher education, including
financial aid opportunities, among the elements that must be included in a
school district's district improvement plan.  Redesignates existing
Subdivisions (5)-(7) to Subdivisions (6)-(8), respectively. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 21.451(a), Education Code, to provide that the
minimum standards developed by the commissioner of education for program
planning, preparation, and improvement must include guidelines for the
cooperation of principals, counselors, and teachers to provide middle
school, junior high school, and high school students with information about
higher education, including financial aid opportunities. 

SECTION 3.  Makes application of this Act prospective to the 1999-2000
school year. 

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