By: Bell of Kaufman, King of Hemphill, H.B. No. 681
Buckley, Shaheen, Morales of Maverick
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to virtual and off-campus electronic instruction at a
public school and the allotment for certain special-purpose school
districts under the Foundation School Program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 25.092(a-4), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a-4) A school district or open-enrollment charter school
may adopt a policy to exempt students from the requirements of this
section for one or more courses identified in the policy that are
offered under a local remote learning program under Section
29.9091. [This subsection expires September 1, 2023.]
SECTION 2. Section 29.9091(r), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(r) In calculating under Subsection (q) the number of
students that may be enrolled in a local remote learning program, a
school district or open-enrollment charter school shall count
students who spend at least half of the student's instructional
time during the [2021-2022] school year [or 2022-2023 school year,
as applicable,] enrolled in virtual courses or receiving remote
instruction, other than by enrollment in electronic courses offered
through the state virtual school network under Chapter 30A,
including students enrolled in virtual courses or who received
remote instruction during the [2021-2022] school year [or 2022-2023
school year, as applicable,] because the student was:
(1) medically fragile;
(2) placed in a virtual setting by an admission,
review, and dismissal committee; or
(3) receiving accommodations under Section 504,
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section 794).
SECTION 3. Section 48.005(h-1), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(h-1) Subject to rules adopted by the commissioner under
Section 48.007(b), time that a student participates in a course or
program provided under Section 48.0071(b) shall be counted as part
of the minimum number of instructional hours required for a student
to be considered a full-time student in average daily attendance
for purposes of this section. [This subsection expires September
1, 2023.]
SECTION 4. The following provisions of the Education Code
are repealed:
(1) Section 29.9091(s);
(2) Section 39.0549(d);
(3) Section 39.301(c-2);
(4) Section 48.005(m-2);
(5) Section 48.0071(d); and
(6) Section 48.053(b-2).
SECTION 5. 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 August 31, 2023.