| 1 | 1 | | 88R8070 BDP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Manuel H.B. No. 2104 |
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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 a school district to employ a social worker to |
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| 8 | 8 | | assist district security personnel and oversee the district's |
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| 9 | 9 | | threat assessment and safe and supportive school teams. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 37, Education Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 37.08135 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 37.08135. SOCIAL WORKER REQUIRED. The board of |
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| 14 | 14 | | trustees of each school district shall employ one or more social |
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| 15 | 15 | | workers licensed under Chapter 505, Occupations Code, to work with |
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| 16 | 16 | | the district's peace officers, school resource officers, or other |
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| 17 | 17 | | security personnel to: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) identify and address underlying student behaviors |
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| 19 | 19 | | related to social, emotional, behavioral, mental, or substance |
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| 20 | 20 | | abuse issues; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (2) assist with emergency situations at the district; |
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| 22 | 22 | | and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (3) provide wrap-around services, case management, |
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| 24 | 24 | | and ongoing support to students enrolled at the district and the |
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| 25 | 25 | | students' families. |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 2. Section 37.115(e), Education Code, is amended to |
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| 27 | 27 | | read as follows: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (e) The superintendent of a school district shall assign to |
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| 29 | 29 | | a social worker employed by the district under Section 37.08135 |
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| 30 | 30 | | [may establish a committee, or assign to an existing committee |
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| 31 | 31 | | established by the district,] the duty to oversee the operations of |
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| 32 | 32 | | teams established for the district. The superintendent may |
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| 33 | 33 | | establish a committee, or assign to an existing committee |
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| 34 | 34 | | established by the district, the duty to assist a social worker with |
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| 35 | 35 | | oversight responsibility under this subsection. A committee [with |
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| 36 | 36 | | oversight responsibility] under this subsection must include |
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| 37 | 37 | | members with expertise in human resources, education, special |
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| 38 | 38 | | education, counseling, behavior management, school administration, |
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| 39 | 39 | | mental health and substance use, school safety and security, |
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| 40 | 40 | | emergency management, and law enforcement. |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024 |
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| 42 | 42 | | school year. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 44 | 44 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 45 | 45 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 46 | 46 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 47 | 47 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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