84R4860 MK-D
By: Goldman H.B. No. 596
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the scheduling of the last day of school for students by
public school districts.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 7.056(e), Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(e) Except as provided by Subsection (f), a school campus or
district may not receive an exemption or waiver under this section
from:
(1) a prohibition on conduct that constitutes a
criminal offense;
(2) a requirement imposed by federal law or rule,
including a requirement for special education or bilingual
education programs; or
(3) a requirement, restriction, or prohibition
relating to:
(A) essential knowledge or skills under Section
28.002 or high school graduation requirements under Section 28.025;
(B) public school accountability as provided by
Subchapters B, C, D, E, and J, Chapter 39;
(C) extracurricular activities under Section
33.081 or participation in a University Interscholastic League
area, regional, or state competition under Section 33.0812;
(D) health and safety under Chapter 38;
(E) purchasing under Subchapter B, Chapter 44;
(F) elementary school class size limits, except
as provided by Section 25.112;
(G) removal of a disruptive student from the
classroom under Subchapter A, Chapter 37;
(H) at-risk programs under Subchapter C, Chapter
29;
(I) prekindergarten programs under Subchapter E,
Chapter 29;
(J) educator rights and benefits under
Subchapters A, C, D, E, F, G, and I, Chapter 21, or under Subchapter
A, Chapter 22;
(K) special education programs under Subchapter
A, Chapter 29;
(L) bilingual education programs under
Subchapter B, Chapter 29; or
(M) the requirements for the last [first] day of
school [instruction] under Section 25.0812 [25.0811].
SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 25.0812 to read as follows:
Sec. 25.0812. LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. (a) Except as provided by
Subsection (b), a school district may not schedule the last day of
school for students for a school year after the Friday preceding
Memorial Day.
(b) A school district may schedule the last day of school
for students for a school year after the Friday preceding Memorial
Day if the district operates a year-round system under Section
25.084.
(c) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a school district that
does not offer each grade level from kindergarten through grade 12
and whose prospective or former students generally attend school in
another state for the grade levels the district does not offer may
schedule the last day of school on any date permitted under
Subsection (a) or the law of the other state.
SECTION 3. Section 25.084(a), Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) A school district may operate its schools year-round on
either a single-track or a multitrack calendar. If a school
district adopts a year-round system, the district may modify:
(1) the number of contract days of employees and the
number of days of operation, including any time required for staff
development, planning and preparation, and continuing education,
otherwise required by law;
(2) testing dates, data reporting, and related
matters;
(3) the date of the last [first] day of school for
students for a [instruction of the] school year under Section
25.0812 [25.0811] for a school that was operating year-round for
the 2014-2015 [2000-2001] school year; and
(4) a student's eligibility to participate in
extracurricular activities when the student's calendar track is not
in session.
SECTION 4. Section 151.326(a), Tax Code, is amended to read
as follows:
(a) The sale of an article of clothing or footwear designed
to be worn on or about the human body is exempted from the taxes
imposed by this chapter if:
(1) the sales price of the article is less than $100;
and
(2) the sale takes place during a period beginning at
12:01 a.m. on the second Friday of August [before the 15th day
preceding the uniform date prescribed by Section 25.0811(a),
Education Code, without regard to any exception authorized by that
section, before which a school district may not begin instruction
for the school year,] and ending at 12 midnight on the following
Sunday.
SECTION 5. Section 25.0811, Education Code, is repealed.
SECTION 6. This Act applies beginning with the 2016-2017
school year.
SECTION 7. This Act takes effect May 1, 2016.