Texas 2021 87th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1979 Introduced / Bill

Filed 03/15/2021

                    By: Miles S.B. No. 1979


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to reporting and disseminating information regarding
 public school disciplinary actions.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  The heading to Section 37.020, Education Code,
 is amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 37.020.  REPORTS RELATING TO SUSPENSIONS, EXPULSIONS,
 AND DISCIPLINARY ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM PLACEMENTS.
 SECTION 2.  Section 37.020, Education Code, is amended by
 adding Subsections (f) and (g) to read as follows:
 (f)  For each suspension under Section 37.005, the district
 shall report:
 (1)  information identifying the student, including
 the student's race, sex, and date of birth and whether the student
 is in a special education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, or
 covered by Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C.
 Section 794), that will enable the agency to compare placement data
 with information collected through other reports;
 (2)  information indicating the basis for the
 suspension;
 (3)  the number of full or partial days the student was
 suspended; and
 (4)  the number of suspensions that were inconsistent
 with the guidelines included in the student code of conduct under
 Section 37.001(a)(3).
 (g)  The agency shall make information collected under this
 section, disaggregated by race, sex, and age of the student and
 whether the student is in a special education program under
 Subchapter A, Chapter 29, or covered by Section 504, Rehabilitation
 Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section 794), available to the public in a
 manner that does not identify an individual student. The agency
 shall also make the information available to the public in a manner
 showing all intersectional data for the categories described by
 this subsection.
 SECTION 3.  This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020
 school year.
 SECTION 4.  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, 2019.