HBA-MSH H.B. 3463 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3463
By: Smith
Public Education
4/23/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, it is an offense to disclose to a member of the public a
certified agenda or tape recording of a meeting that was lawfully closed to
the public.  School boards often hear grievances in closed meetings. On an
appeal to the commissioner of education, a school district is required to
provide records of the hearings.  This may be a violation of law pertaining
to closed meetings.  House Bill 3463 authorizes a school district to
disclose records to the commissioner of education and provides that such
disclosure is not a violation of law. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 3463 amends the Education Code to authorize a public school
district to disclose to the commissioner of education (commissioner) a
record relating to an appeal to the commissioner, including a record of a
local hearing.   The bill provides that these disclosures are not in
violation of provisions relating to lawfully closed meetings. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage.