BILL ANALYSIS

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Pursuant to H.B. 547, which was passed by the Texas Legislature in 2021 and provided for the participation of home-schooled students in University Interscholastic League (UIL) activities, UIL approved a rule to calculate a school's UIL classification based on a new enrollment formula for a public school that allows home-schooled students to participate in UIL activities. This formula weighted the enrollment of such a school by a factor of 1.2, increasing a school's enrollment regardless of how many home�schooled students participate. Although ultimately vetoed by the commissioner of education, the rule would have potentially raised the classification of any school that allows home-schooled students to participate, thus indirectly discouraging schools from allowing such participation. 

H.B. 699 seeks to prevent discouragement of home-schooled student participation in UIL activities by requiring UIL, for classification purposes, to calculate student enrollment using the same formula regardless of whether a school allows home�schooled students to participate in UIL activities. 

H.B. 699 amends current law relating to determining the student enrollment of a public school that allows non-enrolled students to participate in University Interscholastic League activities for purposes of assigning a University Interscholastic League classification.

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 33.0832, Education Code, as added by Chapter 996 (H.B. 547), Acts of the 87th Legislature, Regular Session, 2021, by adding Subsection (c-1), as follows:

(c-1) Requires the University Interscholastic League (UIL), when assigning UIL classification to a public school based on student enrollment, to use the same student enrollment calculation formula for a school that allows a non-enrolled student to participate in a UIL activity as provided by Subsection (c) (relating to authorizing a public school that participates in a UIL activity to provide a non-enrolled student with the opportunity to participate on behalf of the school in the same manner provided to enrolled students) as the formula used to determine the student enrollment of a school that does not allow a non-enrolled student to participate in UIL activity.

SECTION 2. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2023�2024 school year.

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2023.