Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3898 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	88R20331 ANG-D
2	2	By: Martinez H.B. No. 3898
3	3	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3898:
4	4	By: Thompson of Harris C.S.H.B. No. 3898
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to establishing a pilot program to provide a life skills
10	10	advisor and establish a life skills circle to assess certain
11	11	student behavior at public high school campuses in certain
12	12	counties.
13	13	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	14	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 33, Education Code, is
15	15	amended by adding Section 33.010 to read as follows:
16	16	Sec. 33.010. LIFE SKILLS ADVISOR PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In
17	17	this section:
18	18	(1) "Crime of violence" has the meaning assigned by
19	19	Article 59.01, Code of Criminal Procedure.
20	20	(2) "Pilot program" means the life skills advisor
21	21	pilot program established under this section.
22	22	(b) This section applies only to a county that:
23	23	(1) is adjacent to:
24	24	(A) at least two counties that border the Gulf of
25	25	Mexico; and
26	26	(B) at least two counties that are located on the
27	27	international border; and
28	28	(2) is located within 50 miles of a county described by
29	29	Subdivision (1).
30	30	(c) The commissioner shall:
31	31	(1) establish a life skills advisor pilot program at
32	32	each high school campus located in a county subject to this section
33	33	as a strategy for addressing emotional and mental health concerns
34	34	of students; and
35	35	(2) develop a mental health and safety curriculum for
36	36	use by life skills advisors under the program.
37	37	(d) Subject to Subsection (e), a school district located in
38	38	a county subject to this section shall designate for each district
39	39	high school campus located in the county an educator employed by the
40	40	district to serve as a life skills advisor under the pilot program.
41	41	(e) The number of life skills advisors in a school district
42	42	may not exceed the number of school counselors employed by the
43	43	district.
44	44	(f) A life skills advisor serving at a high school campus
45	45	under this section shall:
46	46	(1) collaborate with school district administrators,
47	47	school counselors, social workers, other appropriately
48	48	credentialed mental health professionals, and local law
49	49	enforcement agencies to address mental health concerns affecting
50	50	students at the high school campus;
51	51	(2) provide instruction to students enrolled at the
52	52	high school campus relating to:
53	53	(A) skills and techniques to cope with anxiety,
54	54	frustration, and other emotions; and
55	55	(B) the mental health and safety curriculum
56	56	developed by the commissioner under Subsection (c);
57	57	(3) counsel any students enrolled at the high school
58	58	campus who have committed a crime of violence or are identified as
59	59	having a mental health condition; and
60	60	(4) establish a life skills circle described by
61	61	Subsection (g) to assess certain student behavior and make a
62	62	recommendation regarding the appropriate disciplinary action a
63	63	school should take in response to that student behavior.
64	64	(g) A life skills advisor shall establish a life skills
65	65	circle to assess a student's behavior if an incident involving the
66	66	student occurs that:
67	67	(1) violates school policy;
68	68	(2) requires the involvement of law enforcement; and
69	69	(3) involves violence or drugs.
70	70	(h) A life skills circle established under Subsection (g)
71	71	must include the life skills advisor and students enrolled at the
72	72	high school campus.
73	73	(i) During a life skills circle, the life skills advisor
74	74	shall facilitate open discussion between participating students
75	75	regarding the relevant incident, including allowing students to ask
76	76	questions, speak to witnesses, and review evidence.
77	77	(j) Based on discussion during a life skills circle, the
78	78	life skills advisor and participating students shall make a
79	79	recommendation regarding the appropriate disciplinary action the
80	80	school should take against the student whose behavior is being
81	81	assessed and submit the recommendation to the school administrator
82	82	designated by the school district.
83	83	(k) A recommendation under Subsection (j) may include:
84	84	(1) restricting the student's participation in certain
85	85	extracurricular activities;
86	86	(2) requiring the student to perform community
87	87	service; or
88	88	(3) a combination of the actions described by
89	89	Subdivisions (1) and (2).
90	90	(l) If the life skills advisor and participating students
91	91	find that the student did not violate school policy, the advisor and
92	92	students shall submit a letter to the designated school
93	93	administrator stating the finding.
94	94	(m) The school district shall consider the life skills
95	95	circle's recommendation when determining the disciplinary action
96	96	to take against the student.
97	97	(n) A school district located in a county subject to this
98	98	section may solicit and accept a gift, grant, or donation from any
99	99	source, including a foundation, private entity, governmental
100	100	entity, or institution of higher education to implement or
101	101	administer the pilot program.
102	102	(o) Not later than January 1, 2029, the commissioner shall
103	103	review the pilot program established under this section and submit
104	104	to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house
105	105	of representatives, and the presiding officer of each legislative
106	106	standing committee with primary jurisdiction over primary and
107	107	secondary education a written report regarding the progress made by
108	108	the pilot program in addressing emotional and mental health
109	109	concerns of students.
110	110	(p) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to
111	111	administer the pilot program.
112	112	(q) This section expires September 1, 2029.
113	113	SECTION 2. (a) Not later than December 1, 2023, the
114	114	commissioner of education shall adopt rules necessary to implement
115	115	and administer the life skills advisor pilot program established
116	116	under Section 33.010, Education Code, as added by this Act.
117	117	(b) As soon as practicable after the effective date of this
118	118	Act, the commissioner of education shall develop the mental health
119	119	and safety curriculum required by Section 33.010(c), Education
120	120	Code, as added by this Act.
121	121	(c) The life skills advisor pilot program established under
122	122	Section 33.010, Education Code, as added by this Act, shall be
123	123	implemented in each public high school located in a county subject
124	124	to that section beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.
125	125	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
126	126	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
127	127	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
128	128	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
129	129	Act takes effect September 1, 2023.