Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1755 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R12214 MM-D
2	2	By: Lucio S.B. No. 1755
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to a graduation progress committee for certain public
8	8	school students in the conservatorship of the Department of Family
9	9	and Protective Services.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 33, Education Code, is
12	12	amended by adding Section 33.9041 to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 33.9041. GRADUATION PROGRESS COMMITTEE FOR CERTAIN
14	14	CHILDREN IN CONSERVATORSHIP OF STATE. (a) This section applies
15	15	only to a student in grades 7 through 12 who is in the
16	16	conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective
17	17	Services.
18	18	(b) For each student to whom this section applies, the
19	19	school district that the student attends shall establish a
20	20	graduation progress committee at the beginning of the student's
21	21	seventh grade year to ensure that the student is progressing
22	22	satisfactorily toward high school graduation and to recommend
23	23	services and assistance, as necessary, to support the student's
24	24	progress toward graduation. The committee shall be composed of:
25	25	(1) a school administrator of the district;
26	26	(2) a school counselor employed by the district;
27	27	(3) one or more of the student's teachers;
28	28	(4) a representative of the Department of Family and
29	29	Protective Services;
30	30	(5) as applicable:
31	31	(A) the student's foster parent; or
32	32	(B) a designated advocate described by
33	33	Subsection (c) if the student does not have a foster parent or if
34	34	the student's foster parent is unable to serve;
35	35	(6) as appropriate, the student; and
36	36	(7) any other person familiar with the student, on
37	37	request by the student's foster parent, the district, or the
38	38	Department of Family and Protective Services.
39	39	(c) The commissioner by rule shall establish a procedure for
40	40	appointing an alternative committee member if a person described by
41	41	Subsection (b) is unable to serve, including appointing a
42	42	designated advocate for the student if the student does not have a
43	43	foster parent or if the student's foster parent is unable to serve.
44	44	(d) The school district shall provide an appropriate
45	45	translator, if available, for a person described by Subsection
46	46	(b)(5), (6), or (7) who is unable to speak English.
47	47	(e) The school district shall ensure a good faith effort is
48	48	made to timely notify each person described by Subsection (b)(5),
49	49	(6), or (7) of the time and place for convening the graduation
50	50	progress committee and the purpose of the committee. The notice
51	51	must be:
52	52	(1) provided in person or by regular mail or e-mail;
53	53	(2) clear and easy to understand; and
54	54	(3) written in English, in Spanish, or, to the extent
55	55	practicable, in the native language of the person receiving the
56	56	notice.
57	57	(f) A student's graduation progress committee shall meet at
58	58	least once every six months or more frequently on request by any
59	59	committee member.
60	60	(g) Not later than the fifth school day before the date on
61	61	which a student's graduation progress committee is scheduled to
62	62	meet, the school district shall notify each of the student's
63	63	teachers of the meeting and invite each teacher to submit to the
64	64	committee in writing or in person information regarding the
65	65	student's academic progress and behavior and any recommendations
66	66	for improvement.
67	67	(h) At each committee meeting, a student's graduation
68	68	progress committee shall:
69	69	(1) review any information provided by the student's
70	70	teachers and any other information relevant to the student's
71	71	academic progress;
72	72	(2) recommend academic or behavioral support and
73	73	assistance for the student, as appropriate; and
74	74	(3) evaluate the effectiveness of any academic or
75	75	behavioral support or assistance provided to the student and, if
76	76	appropriate, adjust the committee's recommendations accordingly.
77	77	(i) The school district shall:
78	78	(1) to the extent practicable, provide any academic or
79	79	behavioral support or assistance recommended by a student's
80	80	graduation progress committee under Subsection (h); or
81	81	(2) identify alternative resources that may fulfill
82	82	the committee's recommendations.
83	83	(j) The school district shall prepare a report of each
84	84	meeting of a student's graduation progress committee and provide a
85	85	copy of the report to each committee member. The Department of
86	86	Family and Protective Services shall include a copy of each report
87	87	in any file maintained by the department for the student.
88	88	(k) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to
89	89	implement this section.
90	90	SECTION 2. Notwithstanding Section 33.9041(b), Education
91	91	Code, as added by this Act, a school district shall establish a
92	92	graduation progress committee for each student to whom that section
93	93	applies not later than September 1, 2017.
94	94	SECTION 3. This act applies beginning with the 2017-2018
95	95	school year.
96	96	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
97	97	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
98	98	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
99	99	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
100	100	Act takes effect September 1, 2017.