Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2244 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		By: Paxton S.B. No. 2244
	2	+	(In the Senate - Filed March 8, 2019; March 21, 2019, read
	3	+	first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 11, 2019,
	4	+	reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 11, Nays 0;
	5	+	April 11, 2019, sent to printer.)
	6	+	Click here to see the committee vote
2	7
3	8
4	9		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	10		AN ACT
6	11		relating to the state virtual school network and a study on digital
7	12		learning.
8	13		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	14		SECTION 1. Section 26.0031(c), Education Code, is amended
10	15		to read as follows:
11	16		(c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
12	17		deny a request to enroll a student in an electronic course if:
13	18		(1) a student attempts to enroll in a course load that
14	19		is inconsistent with the student's high school graduation plan or
15	20		requirements for college admission or earning an industry
16	21		certification; or
17	22		(2) the student requests permission to enroll in an
18	23		electronic course at a time that is not consistent with the
19	24		enrollment period established by the school district or
20	25		open-enrollment charter school providing the course[; or
21	26		[(3) the district or school offers a substantially
22	27		similar course].
23	28		SECTION 2. Section 30A.153(a), Education Code, is amended
24	29		to read as follows:
25	30		(a) A [Subject to the limitation imposed under Subsection
26	31		(a-1), a] school district or open-enrollment charter school in
27	32		which a student is enrolled is entitled to funding under Chapter 42
28	33		or in accordance with the terms of a charter granted under Section
29	34		12.101 for the student's enrollment in an electronic course offered
30	35		through the state virtual school network in the same manner that the
31	36		district or school is entitled to funding for the student's
32	37		enrollment in courses provided in a traditional classroom setting,
33	38		provided that the student successfully completes the electronic
34	39		course.
35	40		SECTION 3. Section 30A.155(a), Education Code, is amended
36	41		to read as follows:
37	42		(a) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
38	43		charge a fee for enrollment in an electronic course provided
39	44		through the state virtual school network to a student who resides in
40	45		this state and[:
41	46		[(1)] is enrolled in a school district or
42	47		open-enrollment charter school as a full-time student with a course
43	48		load greater than that normally taken by students in the equivalent
44	49		grade level in other school districts or open-enrollment charter
45	50		schools[; or
46	51		[(2) elects to enroll in an electronic course provided
47	52		through the network for which the school district or
48	53		open-enrollment charter school in which the student is enrolled as
49	54		a full-time student declines to pay the cost, as authorized by
50	55		Section 26.0031(c-1)].
51	56		SECTION 4. Sections 26.0031(c-1) and 30A.153(a-1),
52	57		Education Code, are repealed.
53	58		SECTION 5. (a) The Texas Education Agency shall conduct a
54	59		study regarding the effectiveness of digital learning in public
55	60		schools. The study must include:
56	61		(1) methods of providing digital learning to students
57	62		in kindergarten through 12th grade; and
58	63		(2) recommendations regarding the establishment of
59	64		partnerships between school districts or open-enrollment charter
60	65		schools and institutions of higher education and other public and
61	66		private entities to provide digital learning options.
62	67		(b) Not later than September 1, 2020, the Texas Education
63	68		Agency shall submit to the commissioner of education and each
64	69		legislative standing committee with primary jurisdiction over
65	70		public education a report that includes:
66	71		(1) the results of the study conducted under this
67	72		section; and
68	73		(2) recommendations to improve digital learning,
69	74		including virtual learning under Chapter 30A, Education Code.
70	75		(c) Based on the results of the study and the report
71	76		prepared under this section, the commissioner of education shall
72	77		establish procedures to increase:
73	78		(1) digital learning by students and participation in
74	79		the virtual school network; and
75	80		(2) participation by school districts and
76	81		open-enrollment charter schools in establishing partnerships with
77	82		institutions of higher education and other public and private
78	83		entities.
79	84		(d) This section expires January 1, 2021.
80		-	SECTION 6. The Texas Education Agency is required to
81		-	implement a provision of this Act only if the legislature
82		-	appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If the
83		-	legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that
84		-	purpose, the agency may, but is not required to, implement a
85		-	provision of this Act using other appropriations available for that
86		-	purpose.
87		-	SECTION 7. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020
	85	+	SECTION 6. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020
88	86		school year.
89		-	SECTION 8. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
	87	+	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
90	88		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
91	89		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
92	90		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
93	91		Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
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