HBA-MPM C.S.S.B. 580 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.S.B. 580
By: Van de Putte
Public Education
5/17/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The 74th Legislature created local health education advisory councils
(councils), which may be comprised of teachers, school administrators,
students, health care professionals, the business community, law
enforcement personnel, senior citizens, and clergy.  The purpose of these
councils is to recommend health education curricula to the school districts
that reflect community values and health issues pertinent to the community.
However, the language of current law specifies that the councils assist
school districts with respect to human sexuality instruction, and many
districts interpret this as the council's only role.  C.S.S.B. 580
specifies that the council assist the school district in ensuring that
community values are reflected in the district's health education
instruction. 

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

C.S.S.B. 580 amends the Education Code to expand the purposes and duties of
the local school health education advisory council (council) established by
the board of trustees of each school district (board) to include a
district's overall health education instruction rather than a district's
human sexuality instruction. The bill sets forth council composition
guidelines.  

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. 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.S.B. 580 differs from the original by authorizing rather than requiring
the board of trustees of a school district to appoint to the local school
health education advisory council (council) a representative from specified
groups, and provides that a majority of council members must be persons who
are not employed by the school district.