HBA-MPM S.B. 1543 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1543 By: Nelson Public Education 4/30/2001 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law requires a four-year internal sunset cycle for all state agency rules. In the past, the public education curriculum (essential elements) rules were exempted from this review. However, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curricula which replaced the essential elements are subject to the four-year review cycle. The TEKS curricula, developed over a three-year period, are designed to serve a generation of students over a 12 to 13 year period. A four-year sunset review might interrupt the development and implementation of curriculum, textbooks, and testing which must be aligned with TEKS. Senate Bill 1543 exempts the TEKS curricula and related provisions from the requirement that agency rules undergo internal sunset review every four years. 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 1543 amends the Education Code to provide that the requirement that a state agency review and consider for readoption each of its rules not later than the fourth anniversary of the date on which the rule takes effect and every four years after that date does not apply to a rule adopted by the State Board of Education that identifies the essential knowledge and skills of each subject of the foundation and enrichment curriculums. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001.