81st Legislative Session

We recognize parents as the primary educators of their children through supporting parental choice in education.

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Bill	Position	Summary and Position	Resources
HB 41		This bill would create a public education voucher pilot program to allow children who are educationally disadvantaged to pay the costs of attending an accredited private school. The TCC supports this bill, which recognizes parents as the primary educators of their children by providing parents with means of choosing an educational venue for their children that may have otherwise not been an option, due to cost or other reasons.	Policy Paper: Support a School Choice experimental program to ensure equal educational choices for poor families
HB 130		This bill extends pre-kindergarten programs to a full day and among other enhancements sets limits on class size. The Texas Catholic Conference supports pre-kindergarten programs as a building block of educational success.  (See SB 21)
HB 131		This bill would require that schools not consider the following students drop-outs: students absent due to expulsion, adjudication for delinquent conduct, or conviction and sentencing of an offense under the Penal Code. The TCC supports this bill because it helps schools present accurate drop-out rates which help provide a more realistic assessment of the drop-out problem and factors related to drop-out rates, which in turn aid in constructing targeted solutions for decreasing these rates.	Policy Paper: Support efforts to reduce high school drop-outs
HB 136		This bill would task various state agencies with creating strategies to increase community awareness of prekindergarten programs through programs that provide information relating to public assistance programs. Studies demonstrate that students enrolled in prekindergarten programs are less likely to become high school drop-outs. The TCC supports this legislation as an important component to lowering the high school drop-out rate.	Policy Paper: Support efforts to reduce high school drop-outs
HB 275		This bill increases the number of students who participate in school breakfast programs. The Texas Catholic Conference supports this bill because a healthy breakfast improves student achievement and is a strategy to decrease childhood obesity.
HB 601		This bill reinstates the exemption of TEPSAC member agency accredited schools from licensure as child care providers. The TCC supports this bill because these schools already have guidelines regarding child care, and because their exemption, due to the passage of H.B. 1385 in the 80th Regular Session, was not the intent of the bill’s authors.(See SB 773)	Policy Paper: Support Reinstatement of Licensure Exemption for Accredited Private Schools
HB 635		This bill allows the Texas Education Agency to seek, accept, and distribute grants for the benefit of public elementary and secondary education. The Texas Catholic Conference supports strong schools and therefore supports increased revenue sources for Texas' public schools.
HB 716		This bill would create a school choice program for students with special education needs. The program allows parents of qualified students to receive a scholarship to send their children to an accredited school that provides for the educational needs of elementary and secondary students with disabilities. The TCC supports this bill, which recognizes parents as the primary educators of their children by providing parents with means of choosing an educational venue for their children that may have otherwise not been an option, due to cost or other reasons. (See SB 183)	Policy Paper: Support a School Choice experimental program to ensure equal educational choices for all families
HB 741		The Texas Catholic Conference recognizes parents as the primary educators of their children, particularly with regard to instruction on  human sexuality. We oppose this bill because it reduces the focus on abstinence education during education on human sexuality. See SB 515)
HB 1371		This bill would prohibit the state from accepting federal funds for abstinence-only education. The TCC opposes this bill which targets abstinence-only programs that receive federal funding.
HB 1540		This bill removes the exemption for TEPSAC accredited schools, from the license requirements for certain child-care programs operated by schools. The TCC opposes this bill because TEPSAC accredited schools have guidelines regarding child care and their removal last session as unintentional.	Policy Paper: Support Reinstatement of Licensure Exemption for Accredited Private Schools
HB 1567		This bill would prevent schools from teaching abstinence as the most effective way to prevent pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and infections. It would also allow instruction on contraception or other USDA approved methods for use for students who are sexually active. The TCC recognizes parents as the primary educators of their children, particularly with regard to instruction on human sexuality, and opposes this bill which reduces the focus on abstinence education in schools. (See SB 1076).
HB 1891		This bill would provide state allow school districts to contract with private entities to provide Pre-K classes for students. Studies demonstrate that students enrolled in pre-kindergarten programs are less likely to become high school drop-outs. The TCC supports this bill, which provides access to pre-kindergarten programs that are a building block to educational success.	Policy Paper: Support efforts to reduce high school drop-outs
HB 1901		This bill requires two hours of annual training on transportation safety for all drivers who transport children under the age of nine at day-care centers, group day-care homes, family home  child-care institutions, foster group homes, or agency foster group homes. TCC supports this bill because it provides additional training for drivers and improves safety when transporting children.
HB 1935		This bill establishes a Texas Adult Career Education Grant Program to provide grants to provide unemployed and underemployed adults with the postsecondary education necessary to obtain living-wage careers in high-demand occupations in the local community and use methodologies proven to achieve measurable results in developing the skill sets of unemployed and underemployed adults to enable those persons and their families to achieve financial independence. TCC supports programs that aid unemployed and underemployed adults in advancing their education to obtain living-wage careers.
HB 2446		This bill expands eligibility for enrollment in prekindergarten classes to children for whom a grandparent has primary responsibility over them. Studies demonstrate that students enrolled in prekindergarten programs are less likely to become high school drop-outs. The TCC supports this bill as a way to increase access to prekindergarten programs and ultimately combat high drop-out rates. (See SB 1349)	Policy Paper: Support efforts to reduce high school drop-outs
HB 2479		This bill would allow for the creation of best practices for dropout prevention and recovery. The best practices would identify successful or promising programs to collect and analyze performance and common strategies or components, and provide that information to school districts. The TCC supports this bill, which would help gather and distribute information on drop-out prevention and recovery strategies.	Policy Paper: Support efforts to reduce high school drop-outs
HB 3192		This bill would increase eligibility for children for enrollment in prekindergarten programs. The Texas Catholic Conference supports increased eligibility to pre-kindergarten programs as a building block of educational success. (See SB 122).	Policy Paper: Support efforts to reduce high school drop-outs
HB 3229		This bill will allow the state to conduct a pilot project for students in recovery from drug or alcohol abuse. The TCC supports this strategy as a positive way to reduce the drop-out rate and provide these young people with support for changing their lives.	Policy Paper: Support efforts to reduce high school drop-outs
HB 3574		This bill creates a dropout prevention pilot program. The TCC supports this program as a way to reduce the drop-out rate.	Policy Paper: Support efforts to reduce high school drop-outs
SB 21		This bill extends pre-kindergarten programs to a full day and among other enhancements sets limits on class size. The Texas Catholic Conference supports pre-kindergarten programs as a building block of educational success.  (See HB 130)
SB 68		This bill reinstates the exemption of TEPSAC member agency accredited schools from licensure as child care providers. The TCC supports this bill because these schools already have guidelines regarding child care, and because their exemption, due to the passage of H.B. 1385 in the 80th Regular Session, was not the intent of the bill’s authors.	Policy Paper: Support Reinstatement of Licensure Exemption for Accredited Private Schools
SB 122		This bill would increase eligibility for children for enrollment in prekindergarten programs. The Texas Catholic Conference supports increased eligibility to pre-kindergarten programs as a building block of educational success.	Policy Paper: Support efforts to reduce high school drop-outs
SB 183		This bill would create a school choice program for students with special education needs. The program allows parents of qualified students to receive a scholarship to send their children to an accredited school that provides for the educational needs of elementary and secondary students with disabilities. The TCC supports this bill, which recognizes parents as the primary educators of their children by providing parents with means of choosing an educational venue for their children that may have otherwise not been an option, due to cost or other reasons. (See HB 716)	Policy Paper: Support a School Choice experimental program to ensure equal educational choices for all families
SB 278		This bill creates additional funding for the prevention and treatment of substance abuse.  The TCC supports access to mental health services, including substance abuse treatment.  Substance abuse prevention and treatment can have a direct positive impact on the high school drop out rate.	Policy Paper: Support efforts to reduce high school drop-outs
SB 466		This bill allows parents to exclude their children from receiving immunizations.The TCC opposes this legislation, recognizing that immunizations are important for public health and should only be withheld under serious circumstances.
SB 515		The Texas Catholic Conference recognizes parents as the primary educators of their children, particularly with regard to instruction on  human sexuality. We oppose this bill because it reduces the focus on abstinence education during education on human sexuality. (See HB 741)
SB 572		This bill requires two hours of annual training on transportation safety for all drivers who transport children under the age of nine at day-care centers, group day-care homes, family home  child-care institutions, foster group homes, or agency foster group homes. TCC supports this bill because it provides additional training for drivers and improves safety when transporting children. (See HB 1901)
SB 773		This bill reinstates the exemption of TEPSAC member agency accredited schools from licensure as child care providers. The TCC supports this bill because these schools already have guidelines regarding child care, and because their exemption, due to the passage of H.B. 1385 in the 80th Regular Session, was not the intent of the bill’s authors.(See HB 601)	Policy Paper: Support Reinstatement of Licensure Exemption for Accredited Private Schools
SB 868		This bill states that public school districts or open-enrollment charter schools participating in the national school breakfast program in which 60% or more of students qualify for free or reduced price breakfast shall provide free breakfast to all elementary school districts. Any additional costs for providing free breakfast will be covered by the Department of Agriculture. The TCC supports expanding the school breakfast program, recognizing the importance of proper nutrition for a student to excel in school.	Policy Paper: Support expansion of school breakfast program
SB 869		This bill states that public school districts or open-enrollment charter schools participating in the national school breakfast program in which 60% or more of students qualify for free or reduced price breakfast shall provide free breakfast to all elementary school districts. Any additional costs for providing free breakfast will be covered by the Department of Agriculture. The TCC supports expanding the school breakfast program, recognizing the importance of proper nutrition for a student to excel in school.	Policy Paper: Support expansion of school breakfast program
SB 910		This bill states that public school districts or open-enrollment charter schools participating in the national school breakfast program in which 60% or more of students qualify for free or reduced price breakfast shall provide free breakfast to all elementary school districts. Any additional costs for providing free breakfast will be covered by the Department of Agriculture. The TCC supports expanding the school breakfast program, recognizing the importance of proper nutrition for a student to excel in school.	Policy Paper: Support expansion of school breakfast program
SB 1032		This bill would task various state agencies with creating strategies to increase community awareness of prekindergarten programs through programs that provide information relating to public assistance programs. Studies demonstrate that students enrolled in pre-kindergarten programs are less likely to become high school drop-outs. The TCC supports this legislation as an important component to lowering the high school drop-out rate.	Policy Paper: Support efforts to reduce high school drop-outs
SB 1076		This bill would prevent schools from teaching abstinence as the most effective way to prevent pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and infections. It would also allow instruction on contraception or other USDA approved methods for use for students who are sexually active. The TCC recognizes parents as the primary educators of their children, particularly with regard to instruction on human sexuality, and opposes this bill which reduces the focus on abstinence education in schools. (See HB 1567).
SB 1312 This bill establishes a Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program to provide grants to expand and support programs that prepare low-income students for careers in high-demand occupations, defray the startup costs associated with the development of new career and technical education programs, and provide scholarships for students in career and technical education programs. The Texas Catholic Conference supports this bill as a way to increase educational choices for low-income families.
SB 1349		This bill expands eligibility for enrollment in prekindergarten classes to children for whom a grandparent has primary responsibility over them. Studies demonstrate that students enrolled in prekindergarten programs are less likely to become high school drop-outs. The TCC supports this bill as a way to increase access to prekindergarten programs and ultimately combat high drop-out rates. (See HB 2446)
SB 1726		This bill would allow for the creation of best practices for dropout prevention and recovery. The best practices would identify successful or promising programs to collect and analyze performance and common strategies or components, and provide that information to school districts. The TCC supports this bill, which would help gather and distribute information on drop-out prevention and recovery strategies. (See HB 2479)	Policy Paper: Support efforts to reduce high school drop-outs

Please Note: This report will continue to be updated throughout the Legislative Session.


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