1 | 1 | | By: Curry H.B. No. 1081 |
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2 | 2 | | |
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3 | 3 | | |
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4 | 4 | | |
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5 | 5 | | |
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6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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8 | 8 | | relating to the placement by a school district of a student who |
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9 | 9 | | engages in a course of conduct that demonstrates habitually |
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10 | 10 | | violent, harmful, or destructive behavior. |
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11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 37, Education Code, is |
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13 | 13 | | amended by adding Section 37.025 to read as follows: |
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14 | 14 | | Sec. 37.025. EDUCATIONAL SETTING FOR STUDENTS WHO ENGAGE IN |
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15 | 15 | | COURSE OF CONDUCT DEMONSTRATING HABITUALLY VIOLENT, HARMFUL, OR |
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16 | 16 | | DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR. (a) In this section, "habitually violent, |
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17 | 17 | | harmful, or destructive behavior" means a demonstration of |
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18 | 18 | | behavior, such as assault, that results in: |
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19 | 19 | | (1) injury or harm to a student or school district |
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20 | 20 | | teacher, employee, or other staff member; or |
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21 | 21 | | (2) damage to school district property. |
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22 | 22 | | (b) A school district may: |
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23 | 23 | | (1) for a prescribed period determined by the |
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24 | 24 | | district, place a student who engages in a course of conduct |
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25 | 25 | | demonstrating habitually violent, harmful, or destructive behavior |
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26 | 26 | | in a virtual setting and provide virtual instruction and |
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27 | 27 | | instructional materials for remote learning to the student; |
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28 | 28 | | (2) consult with local and state law enforcement |
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29 | 29 | | agencies to determine whether a student's course of conduct |
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30 | 30 | | described by Subdivision (1) poses a legitimate ongoing threat to |
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31 | 31 | | cause: |
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32 | 32 | | (A) injury or harm to a student or school |
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33 | 33 | | district teacher, employee, or other staff member in the general |
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34 | 34 | | education setting; or |
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35 | 35 | | (B) damage to school district property; |
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36 | 36 | | (3) establish certain conditions that a student or a |
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37 | 37 | | student's parent or person standing in parental relation to the |
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38 | 38 | | student must fulfill to allow a student placed in a virtual setting |
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39 | 39 | | to return to an alternative, general, or hybrid educational |
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40 | 40 | | setting, including conditions that require: |
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41 | 41 | | (A) the student or the student's parent or person |
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42 | 42 | | standing in parental relation to the student to provide evidence |
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43 | 43 | | that the student has undergone a medical or mental health |
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44 | 44 | | evaluation; or |
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45 | 45 | | (B) other reasonable steps designed to help the |
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46 | 46 | | district determine whether the student continues to pose a threat |
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47 | 47 | | to cause: |
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48 | 48 | | (i) injury or harm to a student or school |
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49 | 49 | | district teacher, employee, or other staff member; or |
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50 | 50 | | (ii) damage to school district property; |
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51 | 51 | | and |
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52 | 52 | | (4) if a student receives special education services |
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53 | 53 | | under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, or is receiving accommodations |
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54 | 54 | | under Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section |
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55 | 55 | | 794), and has been determined to pose an ongoing threat to the |
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56 | 56 | | physical safety of students or school district teachers, employees, |
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57 | 57 | | or other staff members or to the destruction of school district |
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58 | 58 | | property, require the student's admission, review, and dismissal |
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59 | 59 | | committee or team established under Section 504, Rehabilitation Act |
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60 | 60 | | of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section 794), as applicable, to meet to determine |
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61 | 61 | | an appropriate educational setting for the student, in accordance |
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62 | 62 | | with Section 37.004 and federal law and regulations, to ensure the |
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63 | 63 | | student receives a free appropriate public education as required |
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64 | 64 | | under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. |
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65 | 65 | | Section 1400 et seq.). |
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66 | 66 | | (c) If the admission, review, and dismissal committee of a |
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67 | 67 | | student who engages in a course of conduct described by Subsection |
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68 | 68 | | (b) determines under Subsection (b)(4) that the least restrictive |
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69 | 69 | | environment for the student is a remote, therapeutic, or |
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70 | 70 | | residential placement, the district is entitled to receive from the |
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71 | 71 | | state reimbursement for expenses and appropriate funding for the |
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72 | 72 | | provision of services to that student. |
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73 | 73 | | (d) A student placed in virtual instruction under |
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74 | 74 | | Subsection (b)(1) shall be counted toward the school district's |
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75 | 75 | | enrollment and average daily attendance in the same manner as other |
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76 | 76 | | district students. The commissioner shall adopt rules providing |
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77 | 77 | | for a method of taking attendance for students placed in virtual |
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78 | 78 | | instruction under Subsection (b)(1). |
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79 | 79 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 |
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80 | 80 | | school year. |
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81 | 81 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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82 | 82 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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83 | 83 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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84 | 84 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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85 | 85 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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