| 1 | 1 | | 86R3015 SOS-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hancock S.B. No. 1357 |
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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 services provided for students at public institutions |
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| 8 | 8 | | of higher education who were formerly in foster care. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 51.9356, Education Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 51.9356. DESIGNATION OF LIAISON OFFICER TO ASSIST |
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| 13 | 13 | | STUDENTS FORMERLY IN FOSTER CARE. (a) In this section: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) "Department" means the Department of Family and |
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| 15 | 15 | | Protective Services. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) "Institution [, "institution] of higher |
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| 17 | 17 | | education" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) Each institution of higher education shall designate at |
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| 19 | 19 | | least one employee of the institution to act as a liaison officer |
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| 20 | 20 | | for current and incoming students at the institution who were |
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| 21 | 21 | | formerly in the conservatorship of the department [Department of |
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| 22 | 22 | | Family and Protective Services]. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (c) The liaison officer shall: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) obtain at least annually the names of and |
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| 25 | 25 | | information regarding current and incoming students at the |
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| 26 | 26 | | institution of higher education who were formerly in the |
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| 27 | 27 | | conservatorship of the department; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2) provide to those students information regarding |
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| 29 | 29 | | support services and other resources available to the students at |
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| 30 | 30 | | the institution and any other relevant information to assist the |
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| 31 | 31 | | students. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (d) The liaison officer may participate in any training that |
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| 33 | 33 | | enables the officer to carry out the officer's duties and |
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| 34 | 34 | | coordinate with liaison officers at other educational |
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| 35 | 35 | | institutions. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (e) Each institution of higher education shall publicize, |
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| 37 | 37 | | including through the institution's Internet website, social |
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| 38 | 38 | | media, electronic mail, or other means of communication used by the |
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| 39 | 39 | | institution: |
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| 40 | 40 | | (1) the name of and contact information for the |
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| 41 | 41 | | institution's liaison officer; and |
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| 42 | 42 | | (2) information regarding support services and other |
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| 43 | 43 | | resources available at the institution to students who were |
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| 44 | 44 | | formerly in the conservatorship of the department. |
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| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2020, each institution |
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| 46 | 46 | | of higher education shall publicize the information required by |
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| 47 | 47 | | Section 51.9356(e), Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 48 | 48 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 49 | 49 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 50 | 50 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 51 | 51 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 52 | 52 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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