BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 3672 By: Ashby Public Education Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that since 2019, Texas has expanded support for after school and summer programs as well as other expanded learning opportunities to reach nearly 3 million students and that students in every region of the state are benefiting from new learning opportunities by making gains in reading and math, exploring careers, engaging with mentors, and participating in enrichment clubs based on student interest. The bill author has also informed the committee that access to high-quality out of school time programsincluding after school and summer learningplays a crucial role in youth development. These programs help reduce truancy, improve academic performance, and prepare students for the workforce while also providing young people with essential supports, such as mentorship, skill development, safe and engaging environments, and early intervention services. H.B. 3672 seeks to foster these positive influences by creating a grant program to expand access to extracurricular learning opportunities outside of regular school hours. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the commissioner of education in SECTION 2 of this bill. ANALYSIS H.B. 3672 amends the Education Code to require the commissioner of education to establish a grant program, as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date, to assist eligible organizations with providing extracurricular community education programs that promote learning and academic enrichment and may include activities involving art, music, community engagement, literacy, science, technology, engineering, math, health, mental health, or recreation. The bill defines "extracurricular community education program" as a community education program for youth enrolled in schools that is provided outside of regular school hours, including programs provided after school or during the summer. The bill establishes that the objectives of the grant program are to do the following: improve student academic performance by increasing access to after-school and summer learning and enrichment opportunities; reduce truancy by fostering student engagement in learning and connections to the school and community; improve student mental health by identifying those in need and providing early intervention to students and their families; increase student access to protective factors that promote healthy behaviors, attitudes, and relationships, including access to connections with caring adults; encourage students to develop the skills and behaviors necessary to become productive adults, including those necessary to succeed in postsecondary education or career opportunities; and establish community partnerships to ensure equitable access to resources for students and their families. H.B. 3672 requires an organization that provides or seeks to provide an extracurricular community education program, in order to be eligible for the grant, to submit a grant application to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) that includes the following: an assessment of community needs and existing program resources, including a description of the extent to which students and their families were involved in the determination of community needs and the extent to which the program addresses or will address the identified needs; a description of the organization's relationship with a public school that the students participating in the program attend, if applicable; an analysis of the extent to which the program will further the grant program's objectives; a plan for implementing educational strategies consistent with industry best practices and for providing program staff with access to professional development opportunities; and a description of the data the organization will use to evaluate the impact of the program. H.B. 3672 requires the commissioner, as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date, to adopt rules necessary to administer the grant program, including rules that do the following: establish a methodology for selecting among eligible organizations that have applied to receive grants that prioritizes: o programs primarily serving historically underserved students; o organizations partnered or otherwise collaborating with public schools that program participants attend; and o organizations providing a wide array of services and activities to meet community needs and program objectives; and monitor and evaluate the performance of grant recipients, including assessing the effectiveness of a program in meeting program objectives. The bill requires the commissioner, to the extent practicable, to award grants equitably among the geographic areas of Texas, including urban, rural, and suburban communities and without regard to the grade level of students served by the program. The bill requires TEA to provide program development assistance to organizations that receive a grant, including professional development opportunities for program leaders and guidance on educational strategies consistent with industry best practices. H.B. 3672 revises the definition of "community education" for purposes of community education programs as follows: specifies that the resources and facilities used by citizens in the process to organize to support each other and to solve their mutual educational problems and meet their mutual lifelong needs, are the resources and facilities of the school district or of an eligible organization; and clarifies that the programs for youth enrolled in schools that may be included in the definition of the term, including dropout prevention and recovery programs, drug-free school programs, school-age parenting programs, and academic enhancement programs, are programs provided both during and outside of regular school hours. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 3672
By: Ashby
Public Education
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 3672
By: Ashby
Public Education
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that since 2019, Texas has expanded support for after school and summer programs as well as other expanded learning opportunities to reach nearly 3 million students and that students in every region of the state are benefiting from new learning opportunities by making gains in reading and math, exploring careers, engaging with mentors, and participating in enrichment clubs based on student interest. The bill author has also informed the committee that access to high-quality out of school time programsincluding after school and summer learningplays a crucial role in youth development. These programs help reduce truancy, improve academic performance, and prepare students for the workforce while also providing young people with essential supports, such as mentorship, skill development, safe and engaging environments, and early intervention services. H.B. 3672 seeks to foster these positive influences by creating a grant program to expand access to extracurricular learning opportunities outside of regular school hours.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the commissioner of education in SECTION 2 of this bill.
ANALYSIS H.B. 3672 amends the Education Code to require the commissioner of education to establish a grant program, as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date, to assist eligible organizations with providing extracurricular community education programs that promote learning and academic enrichment and may include activities involving art, music, community engagement, literacy, science, technology, engineering, math, health, mental health, or recreation. The bill defines "extracurricular community education program" as a community education program for youth enrolled in schools that is provided outside of regular school hours, including programs provided after school or during the summer. The bill establishes that the objectives of the grant program are to do the following: improve student academic performance by increasing access to after-school and summer learning and enrichment opportunities; reduce truancy by fostering student engagement in learning and connections to the school and community; improve student mental health by identifying those in need and providing early intervention to students and their families; increase student access to protective factors that promote healthy behaviors, attitudes, and relationships, including access to connections with caring adults; encourage students to develop the skills and behaviors necessary to become productive adults, including those necessary to succeed in postsecondary education or career opportunities; and establish community partnerships to ensure equitable access to resources for students and their families. H.B. 3672 requires an organization that provides or seeks to provide an extracurricular community education program, in order to be eligible for the grant, to submit a grant application to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) that includes the following: an assessment of community needs and existing program resources, including a description of the extent to which students and their families were involved in the determination of community needs and the extent to which the program addresses or will address the identified needs; a description of the organization's relationship with a public school that the students participating in the program attend, if applicable; an analysis of the extent to which the program will further the grant program's objectives; a plan for implementing educational strategies consistent with industry best practices and for providing program staff with access to professional development opportunities; and a description of the data the organization will use to evaluate the impact of the program. H.B. 3672 requires the commissioner, as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date, to adopt rules necessary to administer the grant program, including rules that do the following: establish a methodology for selecting among eligible organizations that have applied to receive grants that prioritizes: o programs primarily serving historically underserved students; o organizations partnered or otherwise collaborating with public schools that program participants attend; and o organizations providing a wide array of services and activities to meet community needs and program objectives; and monitor and evaluate the performance of grant recipients, including assessing the effectiveness of a program in meeting program objectives. The bill requires the commissioner, to the extent practicable, to award grants equitably among the geographic areas of Texas, including urban, rural, and suburban communities and without regard to the grade level of students served by the program. The bill requires TEA to provide program development assistance to organizations that receive a grant, including professional development opportunities for program leaders and guidance on educational strategies consistent with industry best practices. H.B. 3672 revises the definition of "community education" for purposes of community education programs as follows: specifies that the resources and facilities used by citizens in the process to organize to support each other and to solve their mutual educational problems and meet their mutual lifelong needs, are the resources and facilities of the school district or of an eligible organization; and clarifies that the programs for youth enrolled in schools that may be included in the definition of the term, including dropout prevention and recovery programs, drug-free school programs, school-age parenting programs, and academic enhancement programs, are programs provided both during and outside of regular school hours.
EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The bill author has informed the committee that since 2019, Texas has expanded support for after school and summer programs as well as other expanded learning opportunities to reach nearly 3 million students and that students in every region of the state are benefiting from new learning opportunities by making gains in reading and math, exploring careers, engaging with mentors, and participating in enrichment clubs based on student interest. The bill author has also informed the committee that access to high-quality out of school time programsincluding after school and summer learningplays a crucial role in youth development. These programs help reduce truancy, improve academic performance, and prepare students for the workforce while also providing young people with essential supports, such as mentorship, skill development, safe and engaging environments, and early intervention services. H.B. 3672 seeks to foster these positive influences by creating a grant program to expand access to extracurricular learning opportunities outside of regular school hours.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the commissioner of education in SECTION 2 of this bill.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 3672 amends the Education Code to require the commissioner of education to establish a grant program, as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date, to assist eligible organizations with providing extracurricular community education programs that promote learning and academic enrichment and may include activities involving art, music, community engagement, literacy, science, technology, engineering, math, health, mental health, or recreation. The bill defines "extracurricular community education program" as a community education program for youth enrolled in schools that is provided outside of regular school hours, including programs provided after school or during the summer. The bill establishes that the objectives of the grant program are to do the following:
improve student academic performance by increasing access to after-school and summer learning and enrichment opportunities;
reduce truancy by fostering student engagement in learning and connections to the school and community;
improve student mental health by identifying those in need and providing early intervention to students and their families;
increase student access to protective factors that promote healthy behaviors, attitudes, and relationships, including access to connections with caring adults;
encourage students to develop the skills and behaviors necessary to become productive adults, including those necessary to succeed in postsecondary education or career opportunities; and
establish community partnerships to ensure equitable access to resources for students and their families.
H.B. 3672 requires an organization that provides or seeks to provide an extracurricular community education program, in order to be eligible for the grant, to submit a grant application to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) that includes the following:
an assessment of community needs and existing program resources, including a description of the extent to which students and their families were involved in the determination of community needs and the extent to which the program addresses or will address the identified needs;
a description of the organization's relationship with a public school that the students participating in the program attend, if applicable;
an analysis of the extent to which the program will further the grant program's objectives;
a plan for implementing educational strategies consistent with industry best practices and for providing program staff with access to professional development opportunities; and
a description of the data the organization will use to evaluate the impact of the program.
H.B. 3672 requires the commissioner, as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date, to adopt rules necessary to administer the grant program, including rules that do the following:
establish a methodology for selecting among eligible organizations that have applied to receive grants that prioritizes:
o programs primarily serving historically underserved students;
o organizations partnered or otherwise collaborating with public schools that program participants attend; and
o organizations providing a wide array of services and activities to meet community needs and program objectives; and
monitor and evaluate the performance of grant recipients, including assessing the effectiveness of a program in meeting program objectives.
The bill requires the commissioner, to the extent practicable, to award grants equitably among the geographic areas of Texas, including urban, rural, and suburban communities and without regard to the grade level of students served by the program. The bill requires TEA to provide program development assistance to organizations that receive a grant, including professional development opportunities for program leaders and guidance on educational strategies consistent with industry best practices.
H.B. 3672 revises the definition of "community education" for purposes of community education programs as follows:
specifies that the resources and facilities used by citizens in the process to organize to support each other and to solve their mutual educational problems and meet their mutual lifelong needs, are the resources and facilities of the school district or of an eligible organization; and
clarifies that the programs for youth enrolled in schools that may be included in the definition of the term, including dropout prevention and recovery programs, drug-free school programs, school-age parenting programs, and academic enhancement programs, are programs provided both during and outside of regular school hours.
EFFECTIVE DATE
On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.