HBA-LJL S.B. 189 77(R) H.B.A.-JEK S.B. 189 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 189 By: Lindsay Public Education 3/29/2001 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Juvenile justice alternative education programs (JJAEPs) in counties of 125,000 or more are required to operate for 180 days per year. Unlike school districts, JJAEPs may not apply for a waiver of the 180-day rule. Some JJAEPs operate in the same service area as school districts that have received a waiver of exemption from the 180-day requirement. Operating the school district and the JJAEP on a parallel schedule might improve JJAEP attendance and be simpler for some teachers, students, and parents. Senate Bill 189 authorizes JJAEPs in counties of 125,000 or more to request a waiver of the 180-day requirement. 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. ANALYSIS Senate Bill 189 amends the Education Code to authorize a juvenile justice alternative education program (JJAEP) in a county of 125,000 or more to apply to the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission (TJPC) for a waiver of the required 180 days of operation. The bill prohibits TJPC from granting a waiver to a JJAEP for a number of days that exceeds the highest number of instructional days waived by the commissioner of education during the same school year for a school district served by the JJAEP. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001. The Act applies beginning with the 2001-2002 school year.