HBA-JRA H.B. 1849 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1849 By: Lengefeld Public Education 3/21/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, state law allows children who were at least five years old on the first of September of a school year to attend public school that school year, and requires their education to be paid for from the available school funds for that year. Nevertheless, approximately 30,000 eligible students do not enroll in public school kindergarten each year. H.B. 1849 requires all children who are at least five by June 1, rather than September 1, and younger than 18, to attend school, permits children under five who have attended prekindergarten to attend public school, and requires their education to be paid for from the available school funds for that year. 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. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Sections 25.001(a) and (b), Education Code, to entitle a person enrolled in a prekindergarten class under Section 29.151 (Free Kindergarten), Education Code, to the benefits of the available school fund for that year and requires the board of trustees of a school district to admit into the public schools of the district free of tuition such a person, rather than a person between the ages of five and 21 of the first day of September of the school year in which admission is sought. SECTION 2. Amends Section 25.085(b), Education Code, to require a child who was at least five years old on June 1 of the preceding school year, or who was younger than five years old but has previously been enrolled in prekindergarten, and who is younger than 18 years old, to attend school, unless specifically exempted by Section 25.086 (Exemptions), Education Code. Previously, a child who was at least six years old, or who was younger than six years old and had previously been enrolled in first grade, and was younger than 18 years old was required to attend school. SECTION 3. Amends Section 29.151, Education Code, to require the board of trustees of each school district to establish and maintain one or more kindergartens for children who were at least five years old on June 1 of the preceding school year or who were younger than five years old but have previously been enrolled in prekindergarten, rather than for children who were at least five years old on September 1 of the current school year. SECTION 4. Makes application of this Act prospective to the 1999-2000 school year. SECTION 5.Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.