| 1 | 1 | | By: Allen (Senate Sponsor - Ellis) H.B. No. 2058 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (In the Senate - Received from the House April 29, 2013; |
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| 3 | 3 | | April 30, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on |
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| 4 | 4 | | Education; May 8, 2013, reported favorably by the following vote: |
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| 5 | 5 | | Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 8, 2013, sent to printer.) |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | |
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| 8 | 8 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 9 | 9 | | AN ACT |
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| 10 | 10 | | relating to the administration of a high school equivalency |
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| 11 | 11 | | examination. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Section 7.111, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 14 | 14 | | amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection (a-1) to |
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| 15 | 15 | | read as follows: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (a) The board shall provide for the administration of high |
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| 17 | 17 | | school equivalency examinations [, including administration by the |
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| 18 | 18 | | adjutant general's department for students described by |
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| 19 | 19 | | Subdivision (2)(C)]. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (a-1) A person who does not have a high school diploma may |
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| 21 | 21 | | take the examination in accordance with rules adopted by the board |
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| 22 | 22 | | if the person is: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (1) over 17 years of age; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) 16 years of age or older and: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (A) is enrolled in a Job Corps training program |
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| 26 | 26 | | under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. Section 2801 |
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| 27 | 27 | | et seq.), and its subsequent amendments; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (B) a public agency providing supervision of the |
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| 29 | 29 | | person or having custody of the person under a court order |
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| 30 | 30 | | recommends that the person take the examination; or |
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| 31 | 31 | | (C) is enrolled in the adjutant general's |
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| 32 | 32 | | department's Seaborne ChalleNGe Corps; or |
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| 33 | 33 | | (3) required to take the examination under a [justice |
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| 34 | 34 | | or municipal] court order [issued under Article 45.054(a)(1)(C), |
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| 35 | 35 | | Code of Criminal Procedure]. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (c) The board by rule shall develop and deliver high school |
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| 37 | 37 | | equivalency examinations and provide for the administration of the |
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| 38 | 38 | | examinations online. The rules must [: |
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| 39 | 39 | | [(1)] provide a procedure for verifying the identity |
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| 40 | 40 | | of the person taking the examination [; and |
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| 41 | 41 | | [(2) prohibit a person under 18 years of age from |
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| 42 | 42 | | taking the examination online]. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2013-2014 |
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| 44 | 44 | | school year. |
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| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 46 | 46 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 47 | 47 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 48 | 48 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 49 | 49 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
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| 50 | 50 | | * * * * * |
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