| 1 | 1 | | 87S20452 MM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Dominguez H.B. No. 203 |
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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 requiring public schools to offer a virtual learning |
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| 8 | 8 | | option during a disaster. |
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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 Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 29.9092 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 29.9092. VIRTUAL LEARNING OPTION DURING DISASTER. (a) |
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| 13 | 13 | | During any school year in which a school district's or |
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| 14 | 14 | | open-enrollment charter school's operations, including in-person |
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| 15 | 15 | | attendance, are disrupted due to a disaster declared by the |
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| 16 | 16 | | president of the United States under the Robert T. Stafford |
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| 17 | 17 | | Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Section |
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| 18 | 18 | | 5121 et seq.) or by the governor under Chapter 418, Government Code, |
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| 19 | 19 | | the district or school shall offer to the district's or school's |
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| 20 | 20 | | students a virtual learning option through which students may |
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| 21 | 21 | | attend school virtually. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) A student enrolled in a virtual learning option under |
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| 23 | 23 | | this section shall be counted toward the school district's or |
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| 24 | 24 | | open-enrollment charter school's average daily attendance in the |
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| 25 | 25 | | same manner as other district or school students. The commissioner |
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| 26 | 26 | | shall adopt rules providing for a method of taking attendance, once |
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| 27 | 27 | | each school day, for students enrolled in a virtual learning |
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| 28 | 28 | | option. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (c) Chapter 30A does not apply to a virtual course offered |
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| 30 | 30 | | under a virtual learning option under this section. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 32 | 32 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 33 | 33 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 34 | 34 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 35 | 35 | | Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the |
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| 36 | 36 | | legislative session. |
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