| 1 | 1 | | 87R13392 ANG-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Martinez H.B. No. 4023 |
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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 establishing a pilot program to employ a life skills |
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| 8 | 8 | | counselor at public high school campuses in certain counties. |
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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. Subchapter A, Chapter 33, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 33.010 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 33.010. LIFE SKILLS COUNSELOR PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In |
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| 13 | 13 | | this section: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) "Crime of violence" has the meaning assigned by |
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| 15 | 15 | | Article 59.01, Code of Criminal Procedure. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) "Pilot program" means the life skills counselor |
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| 17 | 17 | | pilot program established under this section. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) This section applies only to a county that: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) is adjacent to: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (A) at least two counties that border the Gulf of |
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| 21 | 21 | | Mexico; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | (B) at least two counties that are located on the |
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| 23 | 23 | | international border; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) is located within 50 miles of a county described by |
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| 25 | 25 | | Subdivision (1). |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) The commissioner shall establish a life skills |
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| 27 | 27 | | counselor pilot program at each high school campus located in a |
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| 28 | 28 | | county subject to this section as a strategy for addressing |
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| 29 | 29 | | emotional and mental health concerns of students. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (d) A school district located in a county subject to this |
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| 31 | 31 | | section shall employ for each district high school campus located |
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| 32 | 32 | | in the county a school counselor certified under Subchapter B, |
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| 33 | 33 | | Chapter 21, to serve as a life skills counselor under the pilot |
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| 34 | 34 | | program. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (e) A life skills counselor employed to serve at a high |
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| 36 | 36 | | school campus under this section shall: |
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| 37 | 37 | | (1) collaborate with school district administrators, |
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| 38 | 38 | | school counselors, social workers, other appropriately |
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| 39 | 39 | | credentialed mental health professionals, and local law |
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| 40 | 40 | | enforcement agencies to address mental health concerns affecting |
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| 41 | 41 | | students at the high school campus; |
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| 42 | 42 | | (2) provide instruction to students enrolled at the |
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| 43 | 43 | | high school campus relating to skills and techniques to cope with |
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| 44 | 44 | | anxiety, frustration, and other emotions; |
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| 45 | 45 | | (3) counsel any students enrolled at the high school |
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| 46 | 46 | | campus who have committed a crime of violence or are identified as |
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| 47 | 47 | | having a mental health condition; and |
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| 48 | 48 | | (4) establish a voluntary counseling program for |
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| 49 | 49 | | students enrolled at the high school campus. |
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| 50 | 50 | | (f) A school district located in a county subject to this |
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| 51 | 51 | | section may solicit and accept a gift, grant, or donation from any |
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| 52 | 52 | | source, including a foundation, private entity, governmental |
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| 53 | 53 | | entity, or institution of higher education to implement or |
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| 54 | 54 | | administer the pilot program. |
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| 55 | 55 | | (g) Not later than January 1, 2027, the commissioner shall |
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| 56 | 56 | | review the pilot program established under this section and submit |
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| 57 | 57 | | to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house |
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| 58 | 58 | | of representatives, and the presiding officer of each legislative |
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| 59 | 59 | | standing committee with primary jurisdiction over primary and |
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| 60 | 60 | | secondary education a written report regarding the progress made by |
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| 61 | 61 | | the pilot program in addressing emotional and mental health |
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| 62 | 62 | | concerns of students. |
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| 63 | 63 | | (h) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to |
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| 64 | 64 | | administer the pilot program. |
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| 65 | 65 | | (i) This section expires September 1, 2027. |
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| 66 | 66 | | SECTION 2. (a) Not later than December 1, 2021, the |
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| 67 | 67 | | commissioner of education shall adopt rules necessary to implement |
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| 68 | 68 | | and administer the life skills counselor pilot program established |
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| 69 | 69 | | under Section 33.010, Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 70 | 70 | | (b) The life skills counselor pilot program established |
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| 71 | 71 | | under Section 33.010, Education Code, as added by this Act, shall be |
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| 72 | 72 | | implemented in each public high school located in a county subject |
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| 73 | 73 | | to that section beginning with the 2022-2023 school year. |
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| 74 | 74 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 75 | 75 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 76 | 76 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 77 | 77 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 78 | 78 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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