HBA-JRA S.B. 237 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 237
By: Ellis
Public Education
4/21/1999
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, Texas law does not require school districts to provide public
school students and parents with information about higher education and
financial aid opportunities.  College course counseling and advising for
high school and middle school students may give them a better understanding
of what is required to attend college.  S.B. 237 requires each school
district to establish strategies to provide students and their parents with
information about higher education, including financial aid and scholarship
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 require a school
district's district improvement plan to provide strategies for providing
middle school, junior high school, and high school students information
about higher education, including financial aid opportunities and
information about the military service academies of the United States.
Makes conforming changes. 

SECTION 2. Amends Section 21.451(a), Education Code, to require minimum
standards for staff development to include guidelines for the cooperation
of principals, counselors, and teachers to provide middle school, junior
high school, and high school students and the parents of such students with
information about higher education, including financial aid opportunities,
including financial aid opportunities and information about the military
service academies of the United States. 

SECTION 3. Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, by adding
Section 61.085, as follows: 

Sec. 61.085.  INFORMATION RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION PROVIDED TO PUBLIC
SCHOOL STUDENTS.  Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
(board), in cooperation with institutions of higher education and school
districts, to provide information relating to higher education, including
financial aid opportunities, to middle school, junior high school, and high
school students.  Requires the strategies under this section to be
responsive to strategies adopted by school districts relating to the
provision of information about higher education to students and their
parents to assist school districts in carrying out the adopted strategies.
Authorizes the board to designate an institution of higher education or
other entity with appropriate facilities and resources for developing
strategies to provide the higher education information.  

SECTION 4.  Makes application of this Act prospective to the 1999-2000
school year. 

SECTION 5.Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.