| 1 | 1 | | By: Muñoz, Jr. H.B. No. 3241 |
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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 informal methods of seeking resolution to grievances or |
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| 7 | 7 | | complaints of school district employees or parents of school |
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| 8 | 8 | | district students. |
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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. Section 11.171, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | adding Subsection (f) to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (f) A school district grievance policy: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) may not require a school district employee to seek |
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| 14 | 14 | | resolution of the employee's grievance through an informal method |
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| 15 | 15 | | before seeking resolution through formal methods prescribed under |
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| 16 | 16 | | the grievance policy; and |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) must provide that any time limits applicable to |
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| 18 | 18 | | the resolution of a grievance through formal methods prescribed |
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| 19 | 19 | | under the grievance policy are tolled while an employee is actively |
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| 20 | 20 | | seeking resolution of the employee's grievance through an informal |
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| 21 | 21 | | method. |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 2. Section 26.011, Education Code, is amended to |
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| 23 | 23 | | read as follows: |
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| 24 | 24 | | Sec. 26.011. COMPLAINTS. (a) The board of trustees of each |
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| 25 | 25 | | school district shall adopt a grievance procedure under which the |
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| 26 | 26 | | board shall address each complaint that the board receives |
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| 27 | 27 | | concerning violation of a right guaranteed by this chapter. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (b) A grievance procedure under this section: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (1) may not require a parent to seek resolution of the |
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| 30 | 30 | | parent's complaint through an informal method before seeking |
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| 31 | 31 | | resolution through formal methods prescribed under the grievance |
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| 32 | 32 | | procedure; and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) must provide that any time limits applicable to |
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| 34 | 34 | | the resolution of a complaint through formal methods prescribed |
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| 35 | 35 | | under the grievance procedure are tolled while a parent is actively |
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| 36 | 36 | | seeking resolution of the parent's complaint through an informal |
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| 37 | 37 | | method. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act to Sections |
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| 39 | 39 | | 11.171 and 26.011, Education Code, apply only to a grievance or |
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| 40 | 40 | | complaint reported on or after the effective date of this Act. A |
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| 41 | 41 | | grievance or complaint reported before the effective date of this |
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| 42 | 42 | | Act is governed by the law in effect when the grievance or complaint |
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| 43 | 43 | | is reported, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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| 44 | 44 | | purpose. |
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| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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