Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1081 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
OldNewDifferences
11 By: Curry H.B. No. 1081
22
33
44
55
66 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
77 AN ACT
88 relating to the placement by a school district of a student who
99 engages in a course of conduct that demonstrates habitually
1010 violent, harmful, or destructive behavior.
1111 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1212 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 37, Education Code, is
1313 amended by adding Section 37.025 to read as follows:
1414 Sec. 37.025. EDUCATIONAL SETTING FOR STUDENTS WHO ENGAGE IN
1515 COURSE OF CONDUCT DEMONSTRATING HABITUALLY VIOLENT, HARMFUL, OR
1616 DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR. (a) In this section, "habitually violent,
1717 harmful, or destructive behavior" means a demonstration of
1818 behavior, such as assault, that results in:
1919 (1) injury or harm to a student or school district
2020 teacher, employee, or other staff member; or
2121 (2) damage to school district property.
2222 (b) A school district may:
2323 (1) for a prescribed period determined by the
2424 district, place a student who engages in a course of conduct
2525 demonstrating habitually violent, harmful, or destructive behavior
2626 in a virtual setting and provide virtual instruction and
2727 instructional materials for remote learning to the student;
2828 (2) consult with local and state law enforcement
2929 agencies to determine whether a student's course of conduct
3030 described by Subdivision (1) poses a legitimate ongoing threat to
3131 cause:
3232 (A) injury or harm to a student or school
3333 district teacher, employee, or other staff member in the general
3434 education setting; or
3535 (B) damage to school district property;
3636 (3) establish certain conditions that a student or a
3737 student's parent or person standing in parental relation to the
3838 student must fulfill to allow a student placed in a virtual setting
3939 to return to an alternative, general, or hybrid educational
4040 setting, including conditions that require:
4141 (A) the student or the student's parent or person
4242 standing in parental relation to the student to provide evidence
4343 that the student has undergone a medical or mental health
4444 evaluation; or
4545 (B) other reasonable steps designed to help the
4646 district determine whether the student continues to pose a threat
4747 to cause:
4848 (i) injury or harm to a student or school
4949 district teacher, employee, or other staff member; or
5050 (ii) damage to school district property;
5151 and
5252 (4) if a student receives special education services
5353 under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, or is receiving accommodations
5454 under Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section
5555 794), and has been determined to pose an ongoing threat to the
5656 physical safety of students or school district teachers, employees,
5757 or other staff members or to the destruction of school district
5858 property, require the student's admission, review, and dismissal
5959 committee or team established under Section 504, Rehabilitation Act
6060 of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section 794), as applicable, to meet to determine
6161 an appropriate educational setting for the student, in accordance
6262 with Section 37.004 and federal law and regulations, to ensure the
6363 student receives a free appropriate public education as required
6464 under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C.
6565 Section 1400 et seq.).
6666 (c) If the admission, review, and dismissal committee of a
6767 student who engages in a course of conduct described by Subsection
6868 (b) determines under Subsection (b)(4) that the least restrictive
6969 environment for the student is a remote, therapeutic, or
7070 residential placement, the district is entitled to receive from the
7171 state reimbursement for expenses and appropriate funding for the
7272 provision of services to that student.
7373 (d) A student placed in virtual instruction under
7474 Subsection (b)(1) shall be counted toward the school district's
7575 enrollment and average daily attendance in the same manner as other
7676 district students. The commissioner shall adopt rules providing
7777 for a method of taking attendance for students placed in virtual
7878 instruction under Subsection (b)(1).
7979 SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026
8080 school year.
8181 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
8282 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
8383 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
8484 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
8585 Act takes effect September 1, 2025.