HBA-GUM, KMH H.B. 2011 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2011 By: Cuellar Higher Education 7/6/1999 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) test was developed after the 1987 legislative session. It is a test that contains three sections: reading, writing, and mathematics. While one testing session lasts five hours, the individual sections are not timed and students may work on the sections in any order they choose. H.B. 2011 requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Education Agency to give priority to the payment of the cost of administering the TASP test to an eligible high school student shown to be financially needy under the criteria established by the board when developing a mechanism for payment of the cost of the test if funds are appropriated for that purpose. This bill also provides that authorization from the student is necessary before the TASP test score is reported to a school administrator. 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 Section 51.306(w), Education Code, to require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (board) and the Texas Education Agency to give priority to the payment of the cost of administering the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) test to an eligible high school student shown to be financially needy under the criteria established by the board when developing a mechanism for payment of the cost of the test if funds are appropriated for that purpose. Provides that authorization from the student is necessary before the TASP test score is reported to a school administrator. SECTION 2. Provides that the change in law made by this Act takes effect beginning with the 1999 fall semester. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.