BILL ANALYSIS
| Senate Research Center | S.B. 2185 |
| 89R14803 ANG-F | By: Hinojosa, Adam |
| | Education K-16 |
| | 4/4/2025 |
| | As Filed |
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The 86th Legislature passed H.B. 3 with a Dual Language Allotment to add additional funding to school districts for bilingual education. There is a shortage of certified bilingual teachers; many who are currently teaching bilingual education because of the students' needs are working towards their bilingual teaching certification.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has allowed Section 29.054(d) of the Education Code to grant an exception for school districts to use an approved TEA Alternative Language Method to meet the needs of its emergent bilingual students and therefore received the initial allotment of 0.1 weighted ADA. TEA has determined that they do not have the authority to apply the same exception to the additional bilingual education allotment provided by H.B. 3. Therefore, a legislative "fix" is needed. S.B. 2185 is that fix.
As proposed, S.B. 2185 amends current law relating to the bilingual education allotment under the public school finance system.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 29.054, Education Code, by adding Subsection (e), as follows:
(e) Authorizes the Texas Education Agency (TEA), notwithstanding Section 29.066(c) (relating to requiring that a bilingual education or special language program, if a school district has received a waiver and is not required to offer a program in certain cases be classified under the PEIMS report as no bilingual education or special language services provided), to require, for purposes of implementing Section 48.105 (Bilingual Education Allotment), a school district that is granted an exception under Section 29.054 (Exception) to include in the district's Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) report additional information specified by TEA and relating to the alternative language education methods used by the district and classify the alternative language education methods used by the district under the PEIMS report as specified by TEA.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 48.105, Education Code, by adding Subsections (a-1) and (a-2) and amending Subsection (b), as follows:
(a-1) Requires TEA to review school districts that offer alternative language education methods approved by TEA under Section 29.054(d) (relating to requiring the district to use alternative methods approved by TEA to meet the needs of its emergent bilingual students) and approve districts to receive the allotment under Subsection (a-2) for that biennium in a manner that provides not more than $10 million total under the allotment to school districts in each biennium. Requires TEA, in approving school districts to receive the allotment under this subsection, to the extent possible, to approve eligible school districts from a cross-section of this state.
(a-2) Provides that, for each student in average daily attendance in an alternative language education method approved by TEA under Section 29.054(d), and offered by a school district approved to receive the allotment under Subsection (a-1), the district is entitled to an annual allotment equal to the basic allotment multiplied by:
(1) 0.15 for an emergent bilingual student, as defined by Section 29.052 (Definitions), if the student is in an alternative language education method using a dual language immersion/one-way or two-way program model; and
(2) 0.05 for a student not described by Subdivision (1), if the student is in an alternative language education method using a dual language immersion/one-way or two-way program model.
(b) Authorizes a district's bilingual education or special language allocation to be used only for certain expenses, including teacher salaries, rather than salary supplements for teachers.
SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2025.
