| 4 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 7 | | relating to excused absences from public school for certain |
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| 6 | 8 | | students to obtain a driver's license or learner license. |
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| 7 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 25.087, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 9 | 11 | | adding Subsection (b-7) and amending Subsection (d) to read as |
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| 10 | 12 | | follows: |
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| 11 | 13 | | (b-7) A school district may excuse a student who is 15 years |
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| 12 | 14 | | of age or older from attending school to visit a driver's license |
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| 13 | 15 | | office to obtain a driver's license or learner license, provided |
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| 14 | 16 | | that: |
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| 15 | 17 | | (1) the district may not excuse more than one day of |
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| 16 | 18 | | school during the period the student is enrolled in high school for |
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| 17 | 19 | | each of the following purposes: |
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| 18 | 20 | | (A) obtaining a driver's license; or |
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| 19 | 21 | | (B) obtaining a learner license; and |
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| 20 | 22 | | (2) the district verifies the student's visit to the |
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| 21 | 23 | | driver's license office in accordance with procedures adopted by |
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| 22 | 24 | | the district. |
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| 23 | 25 | | (d) A student whose absence is excused under Subsection (b), |
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| 24 | 26 | | (b-1), (b-2), (b-4), (b-5), (b-7), or (c) may not be penalized for |
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| 25 | 27 | | that absence and shall be counted as if the student attended school |
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| 26 | 28 | | for purposes of calculating the average daily attendance of |
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| 27 | 29 | | students in the school district. A student whose absence is excused |
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| 28 | 30 | | under Subsection (b), (b-1), (b-2), (b-4), (b-5), (b-7), or (c) |
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| 29 | 31 | | shall be allowed a reasonable time to make up school work missed on |
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| 30 | 32 | | those days. If the student satisfactorily completes the school |
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| 31 | 33 | | work, the day of absence shall be counted as a day of compulsory |
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| 32 | 34 | | attendance. |
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| 33 | 35 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 |
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| 34 | 36 | | school year. |
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| 35 | 37 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 36 | 38 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 37 | 39 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 38 | 40 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 39 | 41 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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| 40 | | - | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 41 | | - | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 42 | | - | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 289 passed the Senate on |
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| 43 | | - | April 9, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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| 44 | | - | ______________________________ |
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| 45 | | - | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 46 | | - | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 289 passed the House on |
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| 47 | | - | May 26, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 126, Nays 21, two |
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| 48 | | - | present not voting. |
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| 49 | | - | ______________________________ |
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| 50 | | - | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 51 | | - | Approved: |
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| 52 | | - | ______________________________ |
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| 53 | | - | Date |
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| 54 | | - | ______________________________ |
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| 55 | | - | Governor |
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