| 6 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 5 | | relating to excused absences from public school for the purpose of |
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| 8 | 6 | | pursuing enlistment in a branch of the armed services of the United |
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| 9 | 7 | | States or the Texas National Guard. |
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| 10 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 25.087, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 12 | 10 | | adding Subsections (b-5) and (b-6) and amending Subsection (d) to |
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| 13 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 14 | 12 | | (b-5) A school district shall excuse a student who is 17 |
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| 15 | 13 | | years of age or older from attending school to pursue enlistment in |
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| 16 | 14 | | a branch of the armed services of the United States or the Texas |
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| 17 | 15 | | National Guard, provided that: |
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| 18 | 16 | | (1) the district may not excuse for this purpose more |
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| 19 | 17 | | than four days of school during the period the student is enrolled |
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| 20 | 18 | | in high school; and |
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| 21 | 19 | | (2) the district verifies the student's activities |
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| 22 | 20 | | related to pursuing enlistment in a branch of the armed services or |
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| 23 | 21 | | the Texas National Guard. |
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| 24 | 22 | | (b-6) Each school district shall adopt procedures to verify |
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| 25 | 23 | | a student's activities as described by Subsection (b-5). |
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| 26 | 24 | | (d) A student whose absence is excused under Subsection (b), |
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| 27 | 25 | | (b-1), (b-2), (b-4), (b-5), or (c) may not be penalized for that |
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| 28 | 26 | | absence and shall be counted as if the student attended school for |
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| 29 | 27 | | purposes of calculating the average daily attendance of students in |
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| 30 | 28 | | the school district. A student whose absence is excused under |
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| 31 | 29 | | Subsection (b), (b-1), (b-2), (b-4), (b-5), or (c) shall be allowed |
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| 32 | 30 | | a reasonable time to make up school work missed on those days. If |
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| 33 | 31 | | the student satisfactorily completes the school work, the day of |
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| 34 | 32 | | absence shall be counted as a day of compulsory attendance. |
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| 35 | 33 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2017-2018 |
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| 36 | 34 | | school year. |
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| 37 | 35 | | SECTION 3. Not later than October 1, 2017, each school |
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| 38 | 36 | | district shall adopt a policy for verification of student |
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| 39 | 37 | | activities relating to pursuing military enlistment as required by |
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| 40 | 38 | | Section 25.087(b-6), Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 41 | 39 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 42 | 40 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 43 | 41 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 44 | 42 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 45 | 43 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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| 44 | + | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 45 | + | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 46 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1152 passed the Senate on |
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| 47 | + | April 26, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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| 48 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 49 | + | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 50 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1152 passed the House on |
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| 51 | + | May 19, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 2, two |
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| 52 | + | present not voting. |
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| 53 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 54 | + | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 55 | + | Approved: |
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| 56 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 57 | + | Date |
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| 58 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 59 | + | Governor |
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