87R12419 BDP-D
By: Hinojosa H.B. No. 4273
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to reporting requirements by the Texas Education Agency
and certain school districts and open-enrollment charter schools
regarding student attendance during a declared disaster.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 25.0875 to read as follows:
Sec. 25.0875. REQUIRED REPORTING OF ATTENDANCE DURING
DECLARED DISASTER. (a) In this section, "declared disaster"
means:
(1) a disaster declared by the president of the United
States;
(2) a state of disaster declared by the governor under
Section 418.014, Government Code; or
(3) a local state of disaster declared by the
presiding officer of the governing body of a political subdivision
under Section 418.108, Government Code.
(b) If the operations or in-person student attendance of a
school district or open-enrollment charter school are
substantially disrupted as a result of a declared disaster, the
district school shall submit a report to the agency in accordance
with Subsections (c) and (d).
(c) The report must include the total number, disaggregated
by student grade level, gender, race, being enrolled in a special
education program, being enrolled in a gifted and talented program,
being at risk of dropping out of school, being in foster care,
experiencing homelessness, being a dependent of military
personnel, having limited English proficiency, or being a migratory
child, of:
(1) students attending in-person;
(2) students attending remotely; and
(3) students experiencing chronic absenteeism.
(d) If the declared disaster lasts:
(1) for a period of less than 90 days, each affected
school district or open-enrollment charter school shall submit a
report to the agency not later than the 30th day following the
termination or expiration of the declared disaster; or
(2) for a period of more than 90 days, each affected
school district or open-enrollment charter school shall submit a
report to the agency every 90 days for the duration of the declared
disaster.
(e) The agency shall:
(1) aggregate the data received from each school
district and open-enrollment charter school under this section; and
(2) submit a report to the legislature not later than
30 days after each required reporting period under Subsection (d).
SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022
school year.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2021.