| 1 | 1 | | 89R2712 RDR-F |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Menéndez S.B. No. 201 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | relating to social workers employed by school districts. |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 33, Education Code, is |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 33.905 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 33.905. SOCIAL WORKERS. (a) In this section, "school |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | social work services" means services specialized to assist students |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | and families and designed to alleviate barriers to learning, |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | connect the home, the community, and the school, advocate for the |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | best interest and academic success of students, strengthen |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | relationships, and assist with basic and biopsychosocial needs. |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | (b) A social worker employed by a school district: |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | (1) shall: |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | (A) collaborate with district administrators and |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | other district professionals to enhance students' learning |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | environments; |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | (B) as appropriate, serve on district committees |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | that address education and safety issues for students; and |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (C) collaborate with parents, teachers, district |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | administrators, and the community to develop and implement school |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | violence prevention, suicide prevention, and child abuse |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | identification strategies; and |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | (2) may provide: |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | (A) school social work services to students and |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | families in the district; and |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | (B) behavioral health referrals and group |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | intervention services as needed. |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | (c) The board of trustees of a school district may adopt a |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | policy that requires a social worker employed by the district to |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | spend at least 80 percent of the social worker's total work time on |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | duties described by this section. |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | school year. |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
|---|