Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3551 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R8998 AND-F
2	2	By: Cunningham H.B. No. 3551
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to a school district student's reentry into a regular
10	10	educational environment from an alternative education program,
11	11	including parental rights related to that reentry.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Section 37.008(a-1), Education Code, is amended
14	14	to read as follows:
15	15	(a-1) The agency shall adopt minimum standards for the
16	16	operation of disciplinary alternative education programs,
17	17	including standards relating to:
18	18	(1) student/teacher ratios;
19	19	(2) student health and safety;
20	20	(3) reporting of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of
21	21	students;
22	22	(4) training for teachers in behavior management and
23	23	safety procedures; and
24	24	(5) planning for a student's reentry into a regular
25	25	educational environment [transition] from a disciplinary
26	26	alternative education program [to a regular campus].
27	27	SECTION 2. The heading to Section 37.023, Education Code,
28	28	is amended to read as follows:
29	29	Sec. 37.023. REENTRY INTO REGULAR EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
30	30	[TRANSITION] FROM ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM [TO REGULAR
31	31	CLASSROOM].
32	32	SECTION 3. Section 37.023, Education Code, is amended by
33	33	amending Subsections (c), (d), and (e) and adding Subsections (c-1)
34	34	and (g) to read as follows:
35	35	(c) Not later than five instructional days after the date of
36	36	a student's release from an alternative education program, the
37	37	campus administrator shall hold a meeting to coordinate the
38	38	student's enrollment and reentry into [transition to] a regular
39	39	educational environment [classroom]. The coordination must
40	40	include assistance and recommendations from the student's parent or
41	41	a person standing in parental relation to the student and, as
42	42	applicable:
43	43	(1) school counselors;
44	44	(2) school district peace officers;
45	45	(3) school resource officers;
46	46	(4) licensed clinical social workers;
47	47	(5) campus behavior coordinators;
48	48	(6) classroom teachers who are or may be responsible
49	49	for implementing the student's personalized school reentry
50	50	[transition] plan developed under Subsection (d); and
51	51	(7) any other appropriate school district personnel.
52	52	(c-1) The campus administrator shall, before finalizing a
53	53	personalized school reentry plan for a student under Subsection
54	54	(d), provide to the student's parent or a person standing in
55	55	parental relation to the student:
56	56	(1) a list of the people who will be assisting in the
57	57	student's reentry into a regular educational environment under
58	58	Subsection (c); and
59	59	(2) an opportunity to meet, either in person or
60	60	remotely, with the people included on the list described by
61	61	Subdivision (1) to:
62	62	(A) discuss any proposed assistance or
63	63	recommendations for the student's reentry; and
64	64	(B) provide information regarding the student
65	65	that may be useful in developing the plan.
66	66	(d) The enrollment and school reentry assistance required
67	67	by Subsection (c) must include a personalized school reentry
68	68	[transition] plan for the student developed by the campus
69	69	administrator. A personalized school reentry [transition] plan:
70	70	(1) must include:
71	71	(A) recommendations for the best educational
72	72	placement of the student; and
73	73	(B) the provision of information to the student's
74	74	parent or a person standing in parental relation to the student
75	75	regarding the process to request a full individual and initial
76	76	evaluation of the student for purposes of special education
77	77	services under Section 29.004; and
78	78	(2) may include:
79	79	(A) recommendations for counseling, behavioral
80	80	management, or academic assistance for the student with a
81	81	concentration on the student's academic or career goals;
82	82	(B) recommendations for assistance for obtaining
83	83	access to mental health services provided by the district or
84	84	school, a local mental health authority, or another private or
85	85	public entity; and
86	86	(C) a regular review of the student's progress
87	87	toward the student's academic or career goals.
88	88	(e) As soon as practicable after completing a student's
89	89	personalized school reentry plan under Subsection (d) [If
90	90	practicable], the campus administrator shall provide an electronic
91	91	or written copy of the plan to [, or the administrator's designee,
92	92	shall meet with] the student's parent or a person standing in
93	93	parental relation to the student [to coordinate plans for the
94	94	student's transition].
95	95	(g) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to
96	96	implement this section.
97	97	SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026
98	98	school year.
99	99	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
100	100	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
101	101	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
102	102	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
103	103	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.