| 1 | 1 | | By: Dukes, Collier (Senate Sponsor - Davis) H.B. No. 455 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (In the Senate - Received from the House April 15, 2013; |
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| 3 | 3 | | April 18, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on |
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| 4 | 4 | | Education; May 10, 2013, reported favorably by the following vote: |
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| 5 | 5 | | Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 10, 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 excused absences from public school for certain |
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| 11 | 11 | | students. |
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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 25.087(b), Education Code, is amended to |
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| 14 | 14 | | read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) A school district shall excuse a student from attending |
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| 16 | 16 | | school for: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) the following purposes, including travel for those |
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| 18 | 18 | | purposes: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (A) observing religious holy days; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (B) attending a required court appearance; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (C) appearing at a governmental office to |
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| 22 | 22 | | complete paperwork required in connection with the student's |
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| 23 | 23 | | application for United States citizenship; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (D) taking part in a United States naturalization |
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| 25 | 25 | | oath ceremony; or |
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| 26 | 26 | | (E) serving as an election clerk; or |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) a temporary absence resulting from an appointment |
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| 28 | 28 | | with health care professionals for the student or the student's |
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| 29 | 29 | | child if the [that] student commences classes or returns to school |
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| 30 | 30 | | on the same day of the appointment. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2013-2014 |
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| 32 | 32 | | school year. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 34 | 34 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 35 | 35 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 36 | 36 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 37 | 37 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
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| 38 | 38 | | * * * * * |
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