By: Lucio S.B. No. 568
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a notification requirement if a counselor is not
assigned to a public school campus.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 33, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 33.009 to read as follows:
Sec. 33.009. PARENTAL NOTIFICATION CONCERNING SCHOOL
COUNSELORS. (a) A public school, including an open-enrollment
charter school, that does not have a full-time school counselor
certified under Subchapter B, Chapter 21, assigned to the campus
for more than 30 consecutive instructional days during the same
school year shall provide written notice of the absence of a
counselor to the parent of or other person standing in parental
relation to each student enrolled in the school.
(b) The principal of the school shall provide the notice
required by Subsection (a) not later than the 30th instructional
day after the first day the school does not have a full-time school
counselor assigned to the campus.
(c) The school shall:
(1) make a good faith effort to ensure that the notice
required by this section is provided in a bilingual form to any
parent or other person standing in parental relation whose primary
language is not English; and
(2) retain a copy of any notice provided under this
section.
(d) The commissioner may adopt necessary rules regarding
notice to a parent or other person standing in parental relation of
the absence of a school counselor at the campus.
SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2009-2010
school year.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2009.