HBA-MPM H.B. 1251 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1251
By: Garcia
Public Education
4/20/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, report cards do not provide a student's parent or guardian with
statistical information regarding the number of students who dropped out of
school prior to graduating.  H.B. 1251 provides that a high school report
card disseminated to a parent or other legal guardian of a student must
include the number and percentage of students who started high school at
that campus and dropped out of school before graduating for the most recent
three- or four-year period, depending on the grade levels the campus
offers.  This bill also provides that the parent or guardian of a former
campus student be provided this information after the student drops out of
school 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority previously delegated to the commissioner of education is modified
in SECTION 1 (Section 39.052, Education Code) and expressly delegated in
SECTION 2 of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 39.052(c), Education Code, to provide that a
report card relating to a high school campus that is disseminated to a
parent or other person with lawful control of a student must include
information concerning the number and percentage of students who started
high school at that campus and dropped out of school before graduating for
the most recent three- or four-year period, depending on the grade levels
the campus offers.  Provides that the parent or person with lawful control
of a former campus student be provided this information as soon as
practicable after the student drops out of school.  Deletes "guardian" and
"conservator" from a list of persons who annually receive the report cards,
as per rules adopted by the commissioner of education (commissioner)
regarding the dissemination of said report cards. 

SECTION 2.  Provides that the commissioner shall adopt rules in accordance
with this section no later than January 1, 2000.  Makes this Act applicable
to public school campus report cards for the 2000-2001 school year and
after. 

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.
                       Effective date:  upon passage.