| 1 | 1 | | 86R11226 SOS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Seliger S.B. No. 1398 |
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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 a behavior improvement plan imposed as a public school |
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| 8 | 8 | | truancy prevention measure. |
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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 25.0915(a-1), Education Code, is amended |
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| 11 | 11 | | to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a-1) As a truancy prevention measure under Subsection (a), |
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| 13 | 13 | | a school district shall take one or more of the following actions: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) impose: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (A) a behavior improvement plan on the student |
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| 16 | 16 | | that must be signed by an employee of the district [school], that |
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| 17 | 17 | | the school district has made a good faith effort to have signed by |
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| 18 | 18 | | the student or [and] the student's parent or guardian, and that |
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| 19 | 19 | | includes: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (i) a specific description of the behavior |
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| 21 | 21 | | that is required or prohibited for the student; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (ii) the period for which the plan will be |
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| 23 | 23 | | effective, not to exceed 90 [45] school days after the date the |
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| 24 | 24 | | contract becomes effective; or |
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| 25 | 25 | | (iii) the penalties for additional |
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| 26 | 26 | | absences, including additional disciplinary action or the referral |
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| 27 | 27 | | of the student to a truancy court; or |
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| 28 | 28 | | (B) school-based community service; or |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) refer the student to counseling, mediation, |
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| 30 | 30 | | mentoring, a teen court program, community-based services, or other |
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| 31 | 31 | | in-school or out-of-school services aimed at addressing the |
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| 32 | 32 | | student's truancy. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020 |
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| 34 | 34 | | school year. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 36 | 36 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 37 | 37 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 38 | 38 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 39 | 39 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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