| 1 | 1 | | 89R4247 MPF/AMF-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Dutton H.B. No. 2967 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to vision screenings for students in public or private |
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| 10 | 10 | | school, including vision screening information reporting for |
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| 11 | 11 | | public school students and the creation of a vision care allotment |
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| 12 | 12 | | under the Foundation School Program. |
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| 13 | 13 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 14 | 14 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, is |
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| 15 | 15 | | amended by adding Section 38.035 to read as follows: |
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| 16 | 16 | | Sec. 38.035. VISION SCREENING REPORTING. (a) Not later |
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| 17 | 17 | | than May 31 of each year, the agency shall post on the agency's |
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| 18 | 18 | | Internet website a report regarding the number of students in each |
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| 19 | 19 | | school district identified as having a vision disorder or other |
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| 20 | 20 | | vision problem requiring vision care under the screening program |
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| 21 | 21 | | described by Section 36.004, Health and Safety Code, disaggregated |
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| 22 | 22 | | by: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (1) grade level; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) campus; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (3) gender; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (4) race; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (5) ethnicity; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (6) whether the student is educationally |
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| 29 | 29 | | disadvantaged; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (7) the number of times the student has previously |
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| 31 | 31 | | been identified as having a vision disorder or other vision problem |
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| 32 | 32 | | requiring vision care. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (b) The commissioner by rule shall require each school |
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| 34 | 34 | | district to report through the Public Education Information |
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| 35 | 35 | | Management System (PEIMS) information necessary for the agency to |
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| 36 | 36 | | prepare the report required by this section. |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 48, Education Code, is |
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| 38 | 38 | | amended by adding Section 48.1035 to read as follows: |
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| 39 | 39 | | Sec. 48.1035. ALLOTMENT FOR VISION CARE FOR CERTAIN |
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| 40 | 40 | | STUDENTS. (a) In this section: |
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| 41 | 41 | | (1) "Eligible student" means a student who: |
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| 42 | 42 | | (A) has been identified as having a vision |
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| 43 | 43 | | disorder or other vision problem requiring vision care under the |
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| 44 | 44 | | screening program described by Section 36.004, Health and Safety |
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| 45 | 45 | | Code; and |
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| 46 | 46 | | (B) is educationally disadvantaged. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (2) "Vision care" includes eye exams and assistive or |
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| 48 | 48 | | corrective visual devices, including glasses or contact lenses. |
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| 49 | 49 | | (b) A school district is entitled to an annual allotment |
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| 50 | 50 | | equal to $75 or a greater amount provided by appropriation for each |
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| 51 | 51 | | eligible student in average daily attendance. |
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| 52 | 52 | | (c) Funds allocated under this section must be used to pay |
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| 53 | 53 | | for costs associated with providing vision care to eligible |
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| 54 | 54 | | students, which may include reimbursing the parent of an eligible |
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| 55 | 55 | | student for vision care provided to that student. |
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| 56 | 56 | | (d) Funds allocated under this section may not be used to |
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| 57 | 57 | | supplant any other funds provided for the same purpose. |
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| 58 | 58 | | SECTION 3. Section 36.004(b-1), Health and Safety Code, is |
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| 59 | 59 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 60 | 60 | | (b-1) The rules must allow an individual who attends a |
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| 61 | 61 | | public or private school to be screened: |
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| 62 | 62 | | (1) using photoscreening to detect vision disorders; |
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| 63 | 63 | | [and] |
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| 64 | 64 | | (2) using an electronic eye chart as a substitute for a |
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| 65 | 65 | | printed eye chart to assess visual acuity; and |
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| 66 | 66 | | (3) using visual screening techniques to detect depth |
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| 67 | 67 | | perception issues and color blindness. |
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| 68 | 68 | | SECTION 4. Section 36.006, Health and Safety Code, is |
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| 69 | 69 | | amended by adding Subsections (a-1) and (a-2) to read as follows: |
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| 70 | 70 | | (a-1) The form prescribed by the department under |
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| 71 | 71 | | Subsection (a) must include: |
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| 72 | 72 | | (1) separate spaces for the student's first and last |
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| 73 | 73 | | name; |
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| 74 | 74 | | (2) a space for the preschool's or school's name; |
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| 75 | 75 | | (3) a space for the student's grade level; and |
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| 76 | 76 | | (4) information for a student's parents regarding |
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| 77 | 77 | | available resources for low-cost vision care. |
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| 78 | 78 | | (a-2) The department shall biennially update the form |
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| 79 | 79 | | information required under Subsection (a-1)(4). |
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| 80 | 80 | | SECTION 5. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective |
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| 81 | 81 | | date of this Act, the commissioner of education shall adopt rules |
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| 82 | 82 | | necessary to implement Sections 38.035 and 48.1035, Education Code, |
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| 83 | 83 | | as added by this Act. |
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| 84 | 84 | | (b) The executive commissioner of the Health and Human |
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| 85 | 85 | | Services Commission shall, as soon as practicable after the |
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| 86 | 86 | | effective date of this Act, adopt rules necessary to implement the |
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| 87 | 87 | | changes in law made by this Act to Chapter 36, Health and Safety |
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| 88 | 88 | | Code. |
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| 89 | 89 | | SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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