| 1 | 1 | | S.B. No. 838 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 5 | | relating to school districts and open-enrollment charter schools |
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| 6 | 6 | | providing silent panic alert technology in classrooms. |
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| 7 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 8 | | SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as Alyssa's Law. |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 37, Education Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Section 37.117 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 37.117. SILENT PANIC ALERT TECHNOLOGY. (a) Each |
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| 12 | 12 | | school district and open-enrollment charter school shall provide |
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| 13 | 13 | | each classroom in the district or school with silent panic alert |
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| 14 | 14 | | technology that allows for immediate contact with district or |
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| 15 | 15 | | school emergency services and emergency services agencies, law |
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| 16 | 16 | | enforcement agencies, health departments, and fire departments. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) Silent panic alert technology provided by a school |
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| 18 | 18 | | district or open-enrollment charter school under this section does |
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| 19 | 19 | | not satisfy the requirement under Section 37.108(a)(2) for the |
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| 20 | 20 | | district or school to ensure employees have classroom access to a |
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| 21 | 21 | | telephone or another electronic communication device. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (c) To comply with this section, a school district or |
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| 23 | 23 | | open-enrollment charter school may: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) use funds provided to the district or school |
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| 25 | 25 | | through the school safety allotment under Section 48.115 or other |
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| 26 | 26 | | available funds; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) use the district's or school's customary |
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| 28 | 28 | | procurement process. |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 |
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| 30 | 30 | | school year. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 4. 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 September 1, 2023. |
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| 36 | 36 | | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 37 | 37 | | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 38 | 38 | | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 838 passed the Senate on |
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| 39 | 39 | | April 11, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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| 40 | 40 | | ______________________________ |
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| 41 | 41 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 42 | 42 | | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 838 passed the House on |
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| 43 | 43 | | April 25, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 145, Nays 0, one |
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| 44 | 44 | | present not voting. |
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| 45 | 45 | | ______________________________ |
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| 46 | 46 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 47 | 47 | | Approved: |
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| 48 | 48 | | ______________________________ |
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| 49 | 49 | | Date |
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| 50 | 50 | | ______________________________ |
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| 51 | 51 | | Governor |
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