The House Public Education Committee advanced another series of bills in a formal meeting Wednesday evening. The following bills were approved unanimously: House Public Education Committee votes on bills, May 3, 2017.

• CSHB 194, which would require the State Board of Education (SBOE) to create a special education endorsement.
• HB 1042, which would expand a parent’s right to request their student be allowed to take home instructional materials.
• HB 1553, which would allow a district that fails to meet standard to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with an institution of higher education in order to help improve the district’s performance.
• CSHB 1847, which would require a school to notify parents if there is not a full-time nurse on the campus.
• CSHB 2806, which would require school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to report to PEIMS the number and percentage of students enrolled in voluntary after-school and summer programs, along with the number of campuses that offer such programs.
• CSHB 2884, which would expand the requirement for daily physical activity in elementary school from four semesters to six.
• CSHB 3044, which would allow a candidate for teacher certification to obtain credit for the required 15 hours of field-based experience by simply observing a certified teacher or by serving as a substitute teacher up to two years prior to or subsequent to admission in an educator preparation program.
• CSHB 3231, which would exempt charters operated by a public senior college or university from being assigned a financial accountability rating under Section 39.082(e).
• HB 3251, which would remove language from statute that makes the adjustment for rapid decline in taxable value of property in a school district subject to appropriation.
• CSHB 3434, which would require TEA adopt uniform general conditions adopted by the Texas Facilities Commission for use in all building construction contracts made by school districts.
• CSHB 3437, which would order the TEA to develop a special education recovery program for the benefit of students negatively affected by the special ed “cap.”
• HB 3573, which would remove the exemption from municipal zoning ordinances governing public schools for charters in small municipalities from charters adjacent to a large municipality.
• HB 3684, which would add instruction to prevent the use of e-cigarettes to the tobacco prevention section of the duties of the local school health advisory committee.
• CSHB 4027, which would add additional guidelines to the transition plan for special education students preparing to leave the public school system.