By: González of El Paso H.B. No. 4394
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to plans by a school district or open-enrollment charter
school for mitigating student learning loss due to the coronavirus
disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 29, Education Code, is amended by adding
Subchapter O to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER O. PLANS FOR MITIGATING LEARNING LOSS DUE TO COVID-19
PANDEMIC
Sec. 29.601. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
(1) "Learning loss" means any specific or general loss
of knowledge and skills or reversals in academic progress.
Sec. 29.602. SCHOOL YEARS AFFECTED BY CORONAVIRUS DISEASE.
For purposes of this subchapter, the school years affected by the
coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic include:
(1) the 2020-2021 school year;
(2) the 2021-2022 school year; and
(3) the 2022-2023 school year.
Sec. 29.603. LEARNING LOSS IDENTIFICATION. Each school
district and open-enrollment charter school shall identify each
student enrolled in the district or school who has experienced
learning loss during any school year affected by the coronavirus
disease pandemic.
Sec. 29.604. PLANS FOR MITIGATING LEARNING LOSS.
(a) Each school district and open-enrollment charter school
shall develop a plan to mitigate student learning loss as a result
of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
(b) A school district or an open-enrollment charter school
shall make the methods included in the learning loss plan available
to any student identified as having experienced learning loss under
Section 29.603.
(c) A school district or an open-enrollment charter school
may prioritize any students that the district or school has
identified as most affected by the coronavirus disease pandemic.
Sec. 29.605 FUNDING TO IMPLEMENT PLANS TO MITIGATE LEARNING
LOSS. (a) The agency shall make federal funds available to school
districts and open-enrollment charter schools to implement the
plans developed under Sec. 29.604.
Sec. 29.606. RULES. The commissioner shall adopt necessary
rules to implement this subchapter.
Sec. 29.607. EXPIRATION. This subchapter expires September
1, 2025.
SECTION 2. 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.