Bill: HB 23, 85(1) - 2017

Committee

House Public Education

Vote Recommendation

Vote Recommendation Economic Freedom Property Rights Personal Responsibility Limited Government Individual Liberty
Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral

Co-Author(s)

Dan Huberty

Bill Caption

Relating to a grant program to fund innovative programs for public school students with autism.

Fiscal Notes

From LBB: Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB23, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($258,408) through the biennium ending August 31, 2019.

Beginning in fiscal year 2020, costs are anticipated to be $10.1 million in each fiscal year. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

Bill Analysis

HB 23 would establish a grant program that would make grants available for school districts that employ innovative, evidence based techniques in educating students with autism.

Vote Recommendation Notes

The job of the public school system is to educate all of the students who enter the system, including those with learning disabilities. The great challenge of this task is that the public school system is largely a top-down, one-size-fits-all system which is not highly flexible and adaptable to the unique needs of students whose needs differ from or extend beyond the educational opportunities generally available in traditional public schools. This is why we advocate for an education mix in Texas that includes traditional public schools, expanded charter school opportunities, and a strong school choice component so that students can find education opportunities that suit them best. This legislation represents an implicit recognition of the fact that our public education system is not presently equipped to handle the vast array of educational needs in our state.

While we support the goal of this legislation which supports individual liberty by boosting opportunity for students with autism, we oppose doing so in a way that expands the cost of government by extending beyond existing resources. For these reasons we remain neutral on passage of HB 23.


Source URL (retrieved on 03/28/2024 06:03 PM): http://reports.texasaction.com/bill/85s1/hb23?print_view=true