Legislative Blog

J.B. Williams, J.D.

3 bills that modify the Education Code

A Blog about 88th Legislature Laws

A Bit of Background

The following backgrounds help summarize the author's views on both the general topic: Texas and more specifically 88th Legislature Laws as it relates to that topic.

Brief Summary of Texas

Texas is truly a Republic. There are a multitude of items that to modify the state constitution must be modified. So there are times when Constitutional amendments are on the voting ballots. While I sometimes abhor the wording, the concept that all of those legally able to vote in Texas must vote on the change is a good one. And bills in Texas are generally short, making it easier for everyone to understand.

Summary of 88th Legislature Laws

The blogs here will discuss the laws passed by Congress and signed into law, as well as those, passed by Congress and approved by the voters to become law. There are a multitude of laws and each time I post blogs I will notate here the current effective date if it is different from prior blogs. I am currently posting bills that took effect immediately - those bills total 336. I am currently posting regarding larger bills, so each blog covers a single bill.

Blog Summary

HB 2920 - Tools to ensure students can compare institutes of higher education.

HB 5375 - This adds automated external defibrillator to CPR being taught to students in Grade 7-12.

SB 68 - If verified, students can receive excused absences for visiting a professional workplace for career investigation day.

3 bills that modify the Education Code

Published: 2024-07-08

HB 2920

Distribution, posting, or provision of information regarding postsecondary education

Information comparing institutions of higher learning shall be made publicly available such that any public or private school student seeking the information can find it. The information shall additionally assist prospective students in assessing the value of a certificate program, associate or baccalaureate degree program by comparing each institution with other institutions using information included in the electronic tools or platforms developed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. This use to specify things like relative cost, student retention, graduation rate, average student debt, loan repayment rate, and employment. Those have all been moved elsewhere in the code.

They did add the word starting to annual wage information and the education requirements of the top 25 (use to be 10) highest demand jobs in Texas. They added the identifying of the 40 baccalaureate degree programs with the highest average annual wages following graduation. And the identifying the 20 associate degree or certificate programs with the highest average annual wages following graduation.

The tools or platform shall assist in assessing the value of postsecondary credentials. It should compare institutions regarding:

1. relative cost based on most recent data;
   1. cost of the following at the 25th percentile, median, and the 75th percentile:
      1. total cost of attendance;
      2. tution and fees;
      3. room and board;
      4. books and supplies;
      5. transportation;
      6. other costs;
   2. estimated net cost remaining after subtracting the above from the average amount of scholarship and grant aid awarded the typical student for the program;
2. value of the certificate, degree, or other credential by comparing:
   1. mediate wage earned by graduates; and
   2. median student debt of students who graduated;
3. average student debt-to-income ratio;
4. progress on repaying student loans by students;
5. educational outcomes for students seeking that certificate, degree, or other credential, including:
   1. for a 1 year program, the percentage of students who continue after first year;
   2. completion rate;
   3. percentage of students who withdrew or transferred and subsequently graduated;
   4. percentage of students who withdrew and did not enroll in the program elsewhere;
   5. percentage of graduates employed in top 5 industries in Texas

HB 2920

HB 4375 - Instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator in public schools

Donations, including donations of equipment, may be accepted for providing instructions in CPR and the use of AED to students. Some of the donated funds may be used to pay the administrative expenses of distributing them.

The State Board of Education must require instruction in CPR and AED to students in grades 7 - 12. Basically this already existed for CPR but now automated external defibrillator (AED) is being added. The schools can still use emergency medical technicians, paramedics, police officers, firefighters, representatives of the American Heart Association or American Red Cross, teachers, other school employees, or similarly qualified individuals.

SB 68

Excused absences from public school students to visit a professional's workplace for a career investigation day

A district may excuse a student from school to visit a professional workplace for career investigation day. This may only be done during the student's junior and senior years of high school. They may not excuse more than 2 days in the student's union year and 2 days in the student's senior year. And the district must adopt a policy that determines when the absence is being used for this purpose and verify that it was used for this purpose.

 

J.B. Williams, J.D.

4,312 federal laws were passed from 1995 through December 2016.
Along with 88,819 federal rules and regulations.