HBA-JRA H.B. 839 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 839
By: Garcia
Public Education
4/20/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

H.B. 839 establishes the public school ethics curriculum committee.  This
bill provides for the appointment and qualifications of the committee
members and sets forth the responsibilities and procedures of the
committee. 

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.  (a)  Establishes the public school ethics curriculum committee
(committee). 

(b)  Requires the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the
house of representatives to each appoint three members to the committee and
the comptroller, the chair of the State Board of Education, and the chair
of the governing board of the Texas Youth Commission each appoint one
member to the committee, by January 1, 2000. 

(c)  Provides that each committee member must have experience in public
school teaching, curriculum development, or administration or a background
in the study of ethics. 

(d)  Requires the committee to develop an ethics curriculum for use in
grades one through seven in public schools, which addresses fundamental
values on which most citizens of the state can agree, including respect for
the law and the responsibilities and rights of citizenship. Prohibits the
curriculum from addressing religious matters. 

(e)  Provides that, in developing the curriculum, the committee must hold
at least three public hearings and requires that each be held in different
region of the state. 

(f)  Authorizes the staff of the Texas Education Agency to serve as staff
for the committee. Provides that Sections 2110.003 and 2110.004(a),
Government Code (Presiding Officer and Reimbursement of Members' Expenses;
Appropriations Process, respectively), apply to the committee. 

(g)  Requires the committee to present recommendations on a public school
curriculum to the legislature by January 1, 2001. 

(h)  Establishes that the committee is abolished January 31, 2001.

SECTION 2.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.