| 1 | 1 | | 87R6395 CAE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Guillen H.B. No. 1621 |
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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 providing free full-day prekindergarten for certain |
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| 8 | 8 | | children. |
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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. Sections 29.153(a-1) and (c), Education Code, |
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| 11 | 11 | | are amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a-1) A district shall offer prekindergarten classes to any |
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| 13 | 13 | | child who is at least four years of age if the district offers |
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| 14 | 14 | | prekindergarten classes. If [if] the district identifies 15 or |
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| 15 | 15 | | more children who are eligible under Subsection (b) and are at least |
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| 16 | 16 | | four years of age the district shall offer a prekindergarten class. |
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| 17 | 17 | | A school district may offer prekindergarten classes if the district |
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| 18 | 18 | | identifies 15 or more eligible children who are at least three years |
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| 19 | 19 | | of age. A district may not charge tuition for a prekindergarten |
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| 20 | 20 | | class offered under this section. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (c) A prekindergarten class under this section [may be |
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| 22 | 22 | | operated on a half-day basis for children under four years of age |
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| 23 | 23 | | and] shall be operated on a full-day basis [for children who are at |
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| 24 | 24 | | least four years of age]. A district is not required to provide |
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| 25 | 25 | | transportation for a prekindergarten class, but transportation, if |
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| 26 | 26 | | provided, is included for funding purposes as part of the regular |
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| 27 | 27 | | transportation system. |
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| 28 | 28 | | SECTION 2. Section 29.1531(a), Education Code, is amended |
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| 29 | 29 | | to read as follows: |
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| 30 | 30 | | (a) A school district may offer on a tuition basis or use |
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| 31 | 31 | | district funds to provide[: |
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| 32 | 32 | | [(1) an additional half-day of prekindergarten |
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| 33 | 33 | | classes to children who are eligible for classes under Section |
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| 34 | 34 | | 29.153 and are under four years of age; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | [(2)] half-day and full-day prekindergarten classes |
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| 36 | 36 | | to children not eligible for classes under Section 29.153. |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 |
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| 38 | 38 | | school year. |
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| 39 | 39 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 40 | 40 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 41 | 41 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 42 | 42 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 43 | 43 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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