HBA-KMH H.B. 2011 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2011
By: Cuellar
Higher Education
3/11/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) was developed after the 1987
legislative session.  It is a test that contains three sections: reading,
writing, and mathematics.  While one testing session last five hours, the
individual sections are not timed and students may work on the sections in
any order they choose.  H.B. 2011 requires administering TASP in a time
period that allows a student to complete the test while working at the
student's own pace.  This bill also requires the state to bear the cost of
administering TASP to an eligible yet financially needy high school
student, while requiring students not shown to be financially needy to bear
the cost themselves. 

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 state
to bear the cost of administering the Texas Academic Skills Program test to
an eligible high school student shown to be financially needy under
criteria established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
(board) through the appropriation of funds for that purpose or other
sources of funds.  Requires an eligible high school student not shown to be
financially needy to pay for the cost of taking the test unless funds are
appropriated to pay for that cost.  Makes conforming and nonsubstantive
changes. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 51.306, Education Code, by adding Subsection (x)
to provide that the test required by this section must be administered in a
time period that allows a student to complete the test while working at the
student's own reasonable pace.  Requires the board to prescribe the time
period for administering the test. 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: fall semester, 1999.

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.