By: Thompson of Harris H.B. No. 3562
(Senate Sponsor - Rodríguez)
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 4, 2015;
May 5, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on
Education; May 13, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 8, Nays 2, 1 present not voting; May 13, 2015, sent to
printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE VOTE
YeaNayAbsentPNV
TaylorofGalvestonX
LucioX
BettencourtX
CampbellX
GarciaX
HuffinesX
KolkhorstX
RodríguezX
SeligerX
TaylorofCollinX
WestX
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the adoption of a policy allowing a grace period after
the exhaustion of the balance of a meal card or account used by
students to purchase meals in public schools.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 33, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 33.908 to read as follows:
Sec. 33.908. GRACE PERIOD POLICY FOR EXHAUSTED OR
INSUFFICIENT MEAL CARD OR ACCOUNT BALANCE. A school district that
allows students to use a prepaid meal card or account to purchase
meals served at the school shall adopt a grace period policy
regarding the use of the cards or accounts. The policy:
(1) must allow a student whose meal card or account
balance is exhausted or insufficient to continue, for a period
determined by the district, to purchase meals by:
(A) accumulating a negative balance on the
student's card or account; or
(B) otherwise receiving an extension of credit
from the district;
(2) must require the district to notify the parent of
or person standing in parental relation to the student that the
student's meal card or account balance is exhausted; and
(3) may not permit the district to charge a fee or
interest in connection with meals purchased under Subdivision (1).
SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016
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, 2015.
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