HBA-CMT S.B. 1743 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1743 By: Nelson Public Education 5/11/2001 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) protects education records maintained by educational institutions. FERPA allows release of such personally identifiable information without parental consent only under certain circumstances and for certain purposes. Senate Bill 1743 authorizes a public school district to designate any or all items defined as "directory information," subject to release in compliance with FERPA and the Texas open records 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 Senate Bill 1743 amends the Government Code to exempt student directory information from requirements related to the availability of public information if it is information in a student record at a public school district and not designated by the district as directory information, as defined by the federal Family and Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). The bill authorizes a public school district to designate as directory information any or all information defined as directory information by FERPA and provides that a district must comply with that act before releasing any designated directory information. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.