HBA-MSH S.B. 1525 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1525
By: Van de Putte
Public Education
5/15/2001
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, a person commits an offense by intentionally disrupting
the conduct of classes or other school activities.  Because the law is
phrased in the plural, a person must be found to have disrupted more than
one class or school activity to be convicted.  Many incidents occur that
disrupt only one class or activity, especially in the case of activities
that take place before or after school when few others are in the school.
It is also an offense to prevent a student from attending a class or a
school activity, but it is not an offense to prevent or hinder a student
from entering or exiting the school before or after school hours. Senate
Bill 1525 makes it an offense to disrupt a class or a school activity and
to prevent or hinder a student from entering or exiting a school and
increases the penalty for repeat offenders.  

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

Senate Bill 1525 amends the Education Code to provide that a person commits
an offense if the person intentionally disrupts the conduct of a single
class or a school activity rather than multiple classes or activities. The
bill provides that "school activity" includes an activity held on school
property before or after the school day.  The bill also provides that it is
an offense to prevent or hinder entrance to or departure from school
property during the period beginning two hours before the beginning of
classes for the school day and ending two hours after the conclusion of
classes for the school day, but does not prevent the legitimate exercise of
the rights of free speech and assembly.  The bill provides that a person
commits a Class B misdemeanor if the person has previously been convicted
of a violation under these provisions.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.