| 1 | 1 | | By: Johnson of Harris H.B. No. 315 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to a grant available to school districts to provide |
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| 7 | 7 | | services to students residing in care and treatment facilities and |
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| 8 | 8 | | residential placement facilities. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 29.0181 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 29.0181. GRANT PROGRAM TO EDUCATE STUDENTS RESIDING IN |
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| 13 | 13 | | CARE AND TREATMENT FACILITIES. (a) This section applies to a |
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| 14 | 14 | | student residing in a care and treatment facility, other than a |
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| 15 | 15 | | state school, or residential placement facility whose parent or |
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| 16 | 16 | | person standing in parental relation to the student does not reside |
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| 17 | 17 | | in the school district providing education services to the student. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) From funds appropriated for the purposes of this |
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| 19 | 19 | | section, federal funds, or any other funds available, the |
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| 20 | 20 | | commissioner shall make grants available to school districts to |
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| 21 | 21 | | assist districts in covering the cost of educating students |
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| 22 | 22 | | residing in care and treatment facilities or residential placement |
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| 23 | 23 | | facilities. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (c) A school district is eligible to apply for a grant under |
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| 25 | 25 | | this section if: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) the district does not receive sufficient funds, |
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| 27 | 27 | | including state funds provided under Sections 42.151 and 42.152, |
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| 28 | 28 | | and federal funds, for a student residing in a care and treatment |
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| 29 | 29 | | facility or residential placement facility to pay for the education |
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| 30 | 30 | | services provided to the student; or |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) the district does not receive sufficient funds, |
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| 32 | 32 | | including state funds provided under Sections 42.151 and 42.152, |
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| 33 | 33 | | and federal funds, for all students in the district residing in care |
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| 34 | 34 | | and treatment facilities or residential placement facilities to pay |
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| 35 | 35 | | for the education services provided to the students. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (d) A school district that applies for a grant under this |
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| 37 | 37 | | section must provide the commissioner with a report comparing the |
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| 38 | 38 | | state and federal funds received by the district for students |
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| 39 | 39 | | residing in care and treatment facilities and residential placement |
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| 40 | 40 | | facilities with the expenses incurred by the district in providing |
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| 41 | 41 | | education services to students residing in care and treatment |
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| 42 | 42 | | facilities and residential placement facilities. |
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| 43 | 43 | | (e) Expenses that may be included by a school district in |
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| 44 | 44 | | applying for a grant under this section include the cost of training |
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| 45 | 45 | | personnel to provide education services to a student residing in a |
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| 46 | 46 | | care and treatment facility or a residential placement facility. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (f) A school district that receives a grant under this |
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| 48 | 48 | | section must educate students residing in care and treatment |
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| 49 | 49 | | facilities and residential placement facilities in the least |
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| 50 | 50 | | restrictive environment that is appropriate to meet the student's |
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| 51 | 51 | | educational needs. |
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| 52 | 52 | | (g) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to |
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| 53 | 53 | | administer this section. |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 55 | 55 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 56 | 56 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 57 | 57 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 58 | 58 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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