| 1 | 1 | | 86R14215 MP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Meza H.B. No. 3037 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the creation of a task force to study the segregation of |
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| 8 | 8 | | public school students with disabilities from other public school |
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| 9 | 9 | | students. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 29.028 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 29.028. TASK FORCE ON THE SEGREGATION OF STUDENTS WITH |
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| 14 | 14 | | DISABILITIES. (a) The agency shall establish a task force to study |
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| 15 | 15 | | the segregation of public school students with disabilities from |
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| 16 | 16 | | other public school students. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) The task force shall be composed of teachers, advocates, |
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| 18 | 18 | | parents, and other stakeholders selected by the agency. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (c) The agency shall designate a member of the task force to |
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| 20 | 20 | | serve as presiding officer. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (d) A vacancy on the task force shall be filled in the same |
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| 22 | 22 | | manner as the initial selection. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (e) A member of the task force may not receive compensation |
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| 24 | 24 | | for service on the task force but is entitled to reimbursement for |
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| 25 | 25 | | actual and necessary expenses incurred in performing task force |
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| 26 | 26 | | duties. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (f) The task force may accept gifts and grants from any |
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| 28 | 28 | | source to be used to carry out a function of the task force. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (g) The task force shall meet at least quarterly at the call |
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| 30 | 30 | | of the presiding officer and at other times as determined by the |
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| 31 | 31 | | presiding officer. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (h) The task force shall: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (1) conduct an ongoing study of the effect of public |
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| 34 | 34 | | schools segregating students with disabilities from other |
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| 35 | 35 | | students. The study must address: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (A) student achievement on assessment |
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| 37 | 37 | | instruments adopted under Chapter 39; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (B) student absences from class; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (C) student violations of the student code of |
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| 40 | 40 | | conduct; and |
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| 41 | 41 | | (D) other factors as determined relevant by the |
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| 42 | 42 | | agency; and |
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| 43 | 43 | | (2) develop recommendations for schools to better |
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| 44 | 44 | | integrate students with disabilities into all school activities. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (i) Not less than once every two years, the task force shall |
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| 46 | 46 | | submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the |
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| 47 | 47 | | house of representatives, and the standing committees of the |
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| 48 | 48 | | legislature having jurisdiction over the agency a report that |
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| 49 | 49 | | summarizes the study conducted and recommendations developed under |
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| 50 | 50 | | Subsection (h). |
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| 51 | 51 | | (j) Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the |
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| 52 | 52 | | task force established under this section. |
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| 53 | 53 | | (k) The task force shall submit the first report required |
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| 54 | 54 | | under Subsection (i) not later than December 31, 2020. |
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| 55 | 55 | | SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2019, the Texas |
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| 56 | 56 | | Education Agency shall appoint members to the task force |
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| 57 | 57 | | established by Section 29.028, Education Code, as added by this |
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| 58 | 58 | | Act, in the manner required by Subsection (b) of that section. |
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| 59 | 59 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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