HBA-MPM, NLM H.B. 618 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 618
By: Dukes
Public Education
6/7/1999
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Prior to the 76th Legislative Session, a school district was not required
to report the certification status of teachers in the district to a
student's parent or guardian.  H.B. 618 requires written notification to be
given to the parent or guardian if an inappropriately certified or
uncertified teacher is assigned to the same classroom for more than 30
consecutive days during the same school year and requires the school
district to make a good-faith effort to provide the notice in a bilingual
form to those parents and guardians whose primary language is not English. 

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 Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, by adding
Section 21.057, as follows: 

Sec. 21.057.  PARENTAL NOTIFICATION.  Requires a school district which
assigns an inappropriately certified or uncertified teacher to the same
classroom for more than 30 consecutive days during the same school year to
provide written notice of this assignment to the parent or guardian of each
student in the classroom.  Requires the school's superintendent to provide
this notice no later than the 30th instructional day after the assignment
of the teacher.  Requires the district to make a good-faith effort to
ensure that the notice is provided in a bilingual form to any parent or
guardian whose primary language is not English and to retain a copy of the
notice, as well as to make information relating to teacher certification
available to the public on request.  Defines "inappropriately certified or
uncertified teacher" for purposes of this section. 

SECTION 2.  Makes this Act applicable beginning with the 1999-2000 school
year. 

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.