Texas 2023 - 88th 3rd C.S.

Texas House Bill HB155 Compare Versions

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1	1	By: Lopez of Cameron H.B. No. 155
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to the employment of certified school counselors by school
7	7	districts.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Section 33.002, Education Code, is amended to
10	10	read as follows:
11	11	Sec. 33.002. [CERTIFIED] SCHOOL COUNSELOR TO STUDENT RATIO;
12	12	DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS FOR COUNSELING PROGRAMS. (a) In this
13	13	section, "school counselor" means a school counselor certified
14	14	under Subchapter B, Chapter 21.
15	15	(a-1) From funds appropriated for the purpose or other funds
16	16	that may be used for the purpose, the commissioner shall distribute
17	17	funds for programs under this subchapter. In distributing those
18	18	funds, the commissioner shall give preference to [a school district
19	19	that received funds under this subsection for the preceding school
20	20	year and then to] the districts that have the highest concentration
21	21	of students at risk of dropping out of school, as described by
22	22	Section 29.081. To receive funds for the program, a school district
23	23	must apply to the commissioner. For each school year that a school
24	24	district receives funds under this subsection, the district shall
25	25	allocate an amount of local funds for school guidance and
26	26	counseling programs that is equal to or greater than the amount of
27	27	local funds that the school district allocated for that purpose
28	28	during the preceding school year. Funds distributed under this
29	29	subsection are in addition to any other funds available for
30	30	programs under this subchapter, including funds provided under
31	31	Section 48.2641 [This section applies only to a school district
32	32	that receives funds as provided by this subsection].
33	33	(b) Beginning with the 2031-2032 school year, a [A] school
34	34	district with 300 [500] or more students in enrollment [enrolled in
35	35	elementary school grades] shall employ a school counselor
36	36	[certified under the rules of the State Board for Educator
37	37	Certification] for each [elementary] school in the district. A
38	38	school district shall employ at least one school counselor for
39	39	every 300 [500 elementary school] students in the district.
40	40	(b-1) Beginning with the 2029-2030 school year, a school
41	41	district with 350 or more students in enrollment shall employ a
42	42	school counselor for each school in the district. A school district
43	43	shall employ at least one school counselor for every 350 students in
44	44	the district. This subsection expires September 1, 2031.
45	45	(b-2) Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, a school
46	46	district with 400 or more students in enrollment shall employ a
47	47	school counselor for each school in the district. A school district
48	48	shall employ at least one school counselor for every 400 students in
49	49	the district. This subsection expires September 1, 2029.
50	50	(b-3) Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, a school
51	51	district with 450 or more students in enrollment shall employ a
52	52	school counselor for each school in the district. A school district
53	53	shall employ at least one school counselor for every 450 students in
54	54	the district. This subsection expires September 1, 2027.
55	55	(b-4) A school district with 500 or more students in
56	56	enrollment shall employ a school counselor for each school in the
57	57	district. A school district shall employ at least one school
58	58	counselor for every 500 students in the district. This subsection
59	59	expires September 1, 2025.
60	60	(c) Beginning with the 2031-2032 school year, a [A] school
61	61	district with fewer than 300 [500] students in enrollment [enrolled
62	62	in elementary school grades] shall provide guidance and counseling
63	63	services to [elementary school] students by:
64	64	(1) employing a part-time school counselor [certified
65	65	under the rules of the State Board for Educator Certification];
66	66	(2) employing a part-time teacher certified as a
67	67	school counselor under Subchapter B, Chapter 21 [the rules of the
68	68	State Board for Educator Certification]; or
69	69	(3) entering into a shared services arrangement
70	70	agreement with one or more school districts to share a school
71	71	counselor [certified under the rules of the State Board for
72	72	Educator Certification].
73	73	(c-1) Beginning with the 2029-2030 school year, a school
74	74	district with fewer than 350 students in enrollment shall provide
75	75	guidance and counseling services to students by:
76	76	(1) employing a part-time school counselor;
77	77	(2) employing a part-time teacher certified as a
78	78	school counselor under Subchapter B, Chapter 21; or
79	79	(3) entering into a shared services arrangement
80	80	agreement with one or more school districts to share a school
81	81	counselor.
82	82	(c-2) Subsection (c-1) and this subsection expire September
83	83	1, 2031.
84	84	(c-3) Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, a school
85	85	district with fewer than 400 students in enrollment shall provide
86	86	guidance and counseling services to students by:
87	87	(1) employing a part-time school counselor;
88	88	(2) employing a part-time teacher certified as a
89	89	school counselor under Subchapter B, Chapter 21; or
90	90	(3) entering into a shared services arrangement
91	91	agreement with one or more school districts to share a school
92	92	counselor.
93	93	(c-4) Subsection (c-3) and this subsection expire September
94	94	1, 2029.
95	95	(c-5) Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, a school
96	96	district with fewer than 450 students in enrollment shall provide
97	97	guidance and counseling services to students by:
98	98	(1) employing a part-time school counselor;
99	99	(2) employing a part-time teacher certified as a
100	100	school counselor under Subchapter B, Chapter 21; or
101	101	(3) entering into a shared services arrangement
102	102	agreement with one or more school districts to share a school
103	103	counselor.
104	104	(c-6) Subsection (c-5) and this subsection expire September
105	105	1, 2027.
106	106	(c-7) A school district with fewer than 500 students in
107	107	enrollment shall provide guidance and counseling services to
108	108	students by:
109	109	(1) employing a part-time school counselor;
110	110	(2) employing a part-time teacher certified as a
111	111	school counselor under Subchapter B, Chapter 21; or
112	112	(3) entering into a shared services arrangement
113	113	agreement with one or more school districts to share a school
114	114	counselor.
115	115	(c-8) Subsection (c-7) and this subsection expire September
116	116	1, 2025.
117	117	SECTION 2. Subchapter F, Chapter 48, Education Code, is
118	118	amended by adding Section 48.2641 to read as follows:
119	119	Sec. 48.2641. ADDITIONAL STATE AID FOR CERTIFIED SCHOOL
120	120	COUNSELORS. (a) For each school year, from funds that may be used
121	121	for the purpose, a school district is entitled to state aid in an
122	122	amount, as determined by the commissioner, sufficient to assist the
123	123	district in employing the number of certified school counselors
124	124	required by Section 33.002.
125	125	(b) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to
126	126	administer this section.
127	127	SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024
128	128	school year.
129	129	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect on the 91st day after the
130	130	last day of the legislative session.