| 5 | 3 | | |
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| 6 | 4 | | |
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| 7 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 7 | | relating to requiring school districts and certain facilities to |
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| 10 | 8 | | assist students in making the transition back to school after |
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| 11 | 9 | | certain prolonged placements outside of school. |
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| 12 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 25, Education Code, is |
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| 14 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 25.903 to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 13 | | Sec. 25.903. ASSISTANCE FOR STUDENT TRANSITIONING BACK TO |
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| 16 | 14 | | SCHOOL AFTER PROLONGED PLACEMENT OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL. (a) This |
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| 17 | 15 | | section applies to the following facilities: |
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| 18 | 16 | | (1) a disciplinary alternative education program; |
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| 19 | 17 | | (2) a juvenile justice alternative education program; |
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| 20 | 18 | | (3) a residential program or facility operated by or |
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| 21 | 19 | | under contract with the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, a |
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| 22 | 20 | | juvenile board, or any other governmental entity; |
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| 23 | 21 | | (4) any residential treatment center; and |
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| 24 | 22 | | (5) a public or private hospital. |
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| 25 | 23 | | (b) Each school district and facility listed under |
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| 26 | 24 | | Subsection (a) shall coordinate to assist a student enrolled in the |
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| 27 | 25 | | district in making the transition back to school after being in the |
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| 28 | 26 | | facility for a period equivalent to 30 instructional days or more |
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| 29 | 27 | | during the school year. The assistance provided by the district and |
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| 30 | 28 | | the facility must include development and implementation of a |
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| 31 | 29 | | personalized transition service plan for each student who has been |
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| 32 | 30 | | absent from school as described by this subsection. The principal |
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| 33 | 31 | | of the school the student attends following the absence shall |
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| 34 | 32 | | designate one or more appropriate school employees, including at |
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| 35 | 33 | | least one teacher, and an appropriate supervisor employed by the |
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| 36 | 34 | | facility in which the student was placed shall designate one or more |
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| 37 | 35 | | appropriate facility employees to coordinate in developing the |
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| 38 | 36 | | plan. To the greatest extent practicable, the plan must be |
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| 39 | 37 | | developed in consultation with the student and the student's parent |
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| 40 | 38 | | or person standing in parental relation to the student. To the |
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| 41 | 39 | | extent appropriate for a particular student, the plan must include: |
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| 42 | 40 | | (1) consideration of the best educational placement |
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| 43 | 41 | | for the student; |
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| 44 | 42 | | (2) provision of counseling, behavioral management |
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| 45 | 43 | | assistance, as available, or academic assistance by the school |
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| 46 | 44 | | based on the student's academic, school reentry, and career and |
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| 47 | 45 | | employment goals; and |
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| 48 | 46 | | (3) assistance concerning access to community mental |
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| 49 | 47 | | health or substance abuse services, as available. |
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| 50 | 48 | | (c) As soon as practicable after a facility listed under |
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| 51 | 49 | | Subsection (a) has determined the date of a student's release from |
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| 52 | 50 | | the facility, the facility shall give to the school district in |
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| 53 | 51 | | which the student intends to attend school following release |
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| 54 | 52 | | written notice of that date and that the facility is prepared to |
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| 55 | 53 | | begin coordinating with the district to develop the student's |
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| 56 | 54 | | personalized transition service plan under Subsection (b). This |
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| 57 | 55 | | subsection applies only to a student subject to compulsory |
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| 58 | 56 | | attendance requirements under Section 25.085. |
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| 59 | 57 | | (d) The agency shall give annual written notice to each |
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| 60 | 58 | | facility listed under Subsection (a) of the facility's duty under |
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| 61 | 59 | | this section. |
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| 62 | 60 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies to absences from public school |
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| 63 | 61 | | beginning with the 2017-2018 school year. |
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| 64 | 62 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 65 | 63 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 66 | 64 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 67 | 65 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 68 | 66 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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