Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB639 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Anderson of McLennan, et al. H.B. No. 639
2		-	(Senate Sponsor - Menéndez)
3		-	(In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 2017;
4		-	May 9, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on
5		-	Education; May 16, 2017, reported favorably by the following vote:
6		-	Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 16, 2017, sent to printer.)
7		-	Click here to see the committee vote
	1	+	H.B. No. 639
8	2
9	3
10		-	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
11	4		AN ACT
12	5		relating to authorizing the purchase of certain insurance coverage
13	6		by public schools for the benefit of businesses and students
14	7		participating in career and technology programs and providing for
15	8		immunity from liability of certain public school students
16	9		participating in career and technology programs.
17	10		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
18	11		SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
19	12		amended by adding Sections 29.191 and 29.192 to read as follows:
20	13		Sec. 29.191. ACCIDENT, LIABILITY, AND AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE
21	14		COVERAGE. (a) The board of trustees of a school district or the
22	15		governing body of an open-enrollment charter school may obtain
23	16		accident, liability, or automobile insurance coverage to protect:
24	17		(1) a business or entity that participates with the
25	18		district or school to provide district or school students a career
26	19		and technology program; and
27	20		(2) a district or school student who participates in a
28	21		district or school career and technology program.
29	22		(b) The coverage authorized by this section must be:
30	23		(1) obtained from a reliable insurer authorized to
31	24		engage in business in this state; or
32	25		(2) for a district, provided through the district's
33	26		self-funded risk pool.
34	27		(c) The amount of coverage a district or school obtains:
35	28		(1) must be reasonable considering the financial
36	29		condition of the district or school; and
37	30		(2) may not exceed the amount that is reasonably
38	31		necessary in the opinion of, as applicable, the board of trustees of
39	32		the district or the governing body of the school.
40	33		(d) If the board of trustees of a district or the governing
41	34		body of a school obtains accident, liability, or automobile
42	35		insurance coverage under this section, an administrator designated
43	36		by the board of trustees of the district or governing body of the
44	37		school, as applicable, shall notify the parent or guardian of each
45	38		student participating in the career and technology program.
46	39		(e) A district or school may not directly or indirectly
47	40		charge a student or the student's parent or guardian for the cost of
48	41		providing to the student insurance under this section.
49	42		(f) The failure of any board of trustees of a district or the
50	43		governing body of a school to obtain coverage authorized by this
51	44		section or to obtain a specific amount of coverage under this
52	45		section may not be construed as placing any legal liability on, as
53	46		applicable, the district or the district's officers, agents, or
54	47		employees or the school or the school's officers, agents, or
55	48		employees.
56	49		Sec. 29.192. IMMUNITY FROM LIABILITY. A student who
57	50		participates in a career and technology program approved by a
58	51		school district or an open-enrollment charter school is entitled to
59	52		immunity in the same manner provided under Section 22.053 as a
60	53		volunteer who is serving as a direct service volunteer of a district
61	54		or school.
62	55		SECTION 2. Section 29.187(f), Education Code, is repealed.
63	56		SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2017-2018
64	57		school year.
65	58		SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
66	59		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
67	60		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
68	61		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
69	62		Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
70		-	* * * * *
	63	+	______________________________ ______________________________
	64	+	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
	65	+	I certify that H.B. No. 639 was passed by the House on May 6,
	66	+	2017, by the following vote: Yeas 138, Nays 0, 3 present, not
	67	+	voting.
	68	+	______________________________
	69	+	Chief Clerk of the House
	70	+	I certify that H.B. No. 639 was passed by the Senate on May
	71	+	19, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
	72	+	______________________________
	73	+	Secretary of the Senate
	74	+	APPROVED: _____________________
	75	+	Date
	76	+	_____________________
	77	+	Governor