HBA-JRA S.B. 237 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 237 By: Ellis Public Education 4/21/1999 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, Texas law does not require school districts to provide public school students and parents with information about higher education and financial aid opportunities. College course counseling and advising for high school and middle school students may give them a better understanding of what is required to attend college. S.B. 237 requires each school district to establish strategies to provide students and their parents with information about higher education, including financial aid and scholarship opportunities. 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 11.252(a), Education Code, to require a school district's district improvement plan to provide strategies for providing middle school, junior high school, and high school students information about higher education, including financial aid opportunities and information about the military service academies of the United States. Makes conforming changes. SECTION 2. Amends Section 21.451(a), Education Code, to require minimum standards for staff development to include guidelines for the cooperation of principals, counselors, and teachers to provide middle school, junior high school, and high school students and the parents of such students with information about higher education, including financial aid opportunities, including financial aid opportunities and information about the military service academies of the United States. SECTION 3. Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, by adding Section 61.085, as follows: Sec. 61.085. INFORMATION RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION PROVIDED TO PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS. Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (board), in cooperation with institutions of higher education and school districts, to provide information relating to higher education, including financial aid opportunities, to middle school, junior high school, and high school students. Requires the strategies under this section to be responsive to strategies adopted by school districts relating to the provision of information about higher education to students and their parents to assist school districts in carrying out the adopted strategies. Authorizes the board to designate an institution of higher education or other entity with appropriate facilities and resources for developing strategies to provide the higher education information. SECTION 4. Makes application of this Act prospective to the 1999-2000 school year. SECTION 5.Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.