| 1 | 1 | | 81R1186 CAE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Strama H.B. No. 359 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the absence of a student from public school to visit |
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| 8 | 8 | | with a parent who has been or will be deployed to a combat zone. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 25.087, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (b-1) and (e) to |
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| 12 | 12 | | read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (b) A school district shall excuse a student from attending |
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| 14 | 14 | | school for: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) the following purposes, including travel for those |
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| 16 | 16 | | purposes: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (A) observing religious holy days; [or] |
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| 18 | 18 | | (B) attending a required court appearance; or |
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| 19 | 19 | | (C) spending time with the student's parent, if |
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| 20 | 20 | | the parent has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or is |
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| 21 | 21 | | returning from deployment to a combat zone as a member of the armed |
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| 22 | 22 | | forces of the United States, a reserve component of the armed forces |
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| 23 | 23 | | of the United States, or the state military forces; or |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) a temporary absence resulting from health care |
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| 25 | 25 | | professionals if that student commences classes or returns to |
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| 26 | 26 | | school on the same day of the appointment. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (b-1) The board of trustees of each independent school |
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| 28 | 28 | | district shall establish criteria for determining the number of |
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| 29 | 29 | | days a student may receive an excused absence for the purpose |
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| 30 | 30 | | described by Subsection (b)(1)(C). |
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| 31 | 31 | | (e) In this section, "combat zone" means an area that the |
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| 32 | 32 | | president of the United States by executive order designates for |
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| 33 | 33 | | purposes of 26 U.S.C. Section 112 as an area in which armed forces |
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| 34 | 34 | | of the United States are or have engaged in combat. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 36 | 36 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 37 | 37 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 38 | 38 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 39 | 39 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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