By: Hughes, et al. S.B. No. 1177
(Koop)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to requirements for charter schools established for the
benefit of certain juvenile offenders.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 221.0071, Human Resources Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 221.0071. CHARTER SCHOOL. (a) Notwithstanding any
other law and in addition to the number of charters allowed under
Subchapter D, Chapter 12, Education Code, the commissioner of
education may grant a charter on the application of a detention,
correctional, or residential facility established only for
juvenile offenders under Section 51.12, 51.125, or 51.126, Family
Code, or an eligible entity that has entered into a contract with a
facility described by this subsection.
(b) If a local detention, correctional, or residential
facility described by Subsection (a) or an eligible entity that has
entered into a contract with a facility described by Subsection (a)
applies for a charter, the facility or the eligible entity must
provide all educational opportunities and services, including
special education instruction and related services, that a school
district is required under state or federal law to provide for
students residing in the district through a charter school operated
in accordance with and subject to Subchapter D, Chapter 12,
Education Code.
(c) The commissioner of education shall adopt a form and
procedure to allow a detention, correctional, or residential
facility described by Subsection (a) or an eligible entity that has
entered into a contract with a facility described by Subsection (a)
to apply for a charter. The application form and procedure must be
comparable to the applicable requirements of Section 12.110,
Education Code, and must include any requirements provided under
Subchapter D, Chapter 12, Education Code.
(d) A charter school operating under a charter granted under
this section is entitled to receive open-enrollment charter school
funding under Chapter 42, Education Code, in the same manner as an
open-enrollment charter school operating under Subchapter D,
Chapter 12, Education Code.
(e) The commissioner of education shall adopt rules
necessary to implement this section, including rules that modify
the requirements for charter schools provided under Chapter 12,
Education Code, as necessary to allow a charter school to operate in
a detention, correctional, or residential facility described by
Subsection (a).
(f) In this section, "eligible entity" has the meaning
assigned by Section 12.101(a), Education Code.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.