By: Metcalf, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Taylor) H.B. No. 974
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 7, 2019;
May 8, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on
Education; May 17, 2019, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 17, 2019, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to public school safety measures and procedures.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 11.159, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:
(b-1) The State Board of Education shall require a trustee
to complete training on school safety. The state board, in
coordination with the Texas School Safety Center, shall develop the
curriculum and materials for the training.
SECTION 2. Section 38.022, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsections (c-1),
(c-2), and (e) to read as follows:
(a) A school district shall [may] require a person who
enters a district campus for a purpose other than to attend a
school-sponsored event that is open to the public to display the
person's driver's license or another form of identification
containing the person's photograph issued by a governmental entity.
(c) A school district shall [may] verify whether a person
who visits [visitor to] a district campus for a purpose other than
to attend a school-sponsored event that is open to the public is a
sex offender registered with the computerized central database
maintained by the Department of Public Safety as provided by
Article 62.005, Code of Criminal Procedure, or any other database
accessible by the district.
(c-1) A school district may verify whether a person who
visits a district campus to attend a school-sponsored event that is
open to the public is a sex offender registered with the
computerized central database maintained by the Department of
Public Safety as provided by Article 62.005, Code of Criminal
Procedure, or any other database accessible by the district.
(c-2) A school district may:
(1) develop a form of identification containing a
person's photograph that is valid only during the school year for
which it is issued; and
(2) issue that form of identification to a student's
parent or guardian who does not possess any other form of
identification described by Subsection (a).
(e) For purposes of this section, an event is a
school-sponsored event that is open to the public if the event is
held on a district campus and individuals other than district
employees or students are encouraged, invited, or permitted to
attend.
SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020
school year.
SECTION 4. Not later than January 1, 2020, the State Board
of Education, in coordination with the Texas School Safety Center,
shall develop the curriculum and materials for the training on
school safety required under Section 11.159(b-1), Education Code,
as added by this Act.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
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