HBA-JRA, PDH C.S.H.B. 907 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 907 By: Siebert Public Education 5/3/1999 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, the Education Code requires a person who is 17 years old to attend school until age 18 and allows 18, 19, and 20 year olds to attend school voluntarily. A student who is 18 years old or older is eligible for Social Security Survivor Benefits. The Social Security Administration (administration) requires proof of enrollment from a student, but the administration does not scrutinize the student's attendance. Voluntary students who enroll in school only to obtain these benefits often do not attend regularly, and may engage in activities that are distracting to other students when they are on campus. C.S.H.B. 907 allows a person to voluntarily enroll in school or voluntarily attend school after the person's 18th birthday, but requires the person to comply with attendance requirements. This bill sets forth sanctions for failing to comply with the attendance requirements. 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 25.085, Education Code, by adding Subsection (e), as follows: (e) Requires a person who voluntarily enrolls in school or voluntarily attends school after the person's 18th birthday to attend school each school day for the entire period of the program of instruction offered. Authorizes a school district to revoke for the remainder of the school year the enrollment of a person who has more than five unexcused absences in a semester. Provides that a person whose enrollment is revoked may be considered an unauthorized person on school district grounds for purposes of Section 37.107 (Trespass on School Grounds), Education Code. SECTION 2. Amends Section 25.087(a), Education Code, to make a conforming change. SECTION 3.Makes application of this Act prospective beginning with the 1999-2000 school year. SECTION 4.Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The substitute modifies the original in SECTION 1 (Section 25.085, Education Code) to authorize, rather than require, a school district to revoke for the remainder of the school year the enrollment of a person who has more than five unexcused absences in a semester, rather than a person who violates this subsection. The substitute adds a new SECTION 2 to amend Section 25.087(a), Education Code, to make a conforming change. The substitute redesignates SECTIONS 2 and 3 (emergency clause) of the original to SECTIONS 3 and 4.