Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB57 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Zaffirini, Campbell S.B. No. 57
2		-
3		-
	1	+	By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 57
	2	+	(In the Senate - Filed November 12, 2024; February 3, 2025,
	3	+	read first time and referred to Committee on Education K-16;
	4	+	March 17, 2025, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
	5	+	Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 10, Nays 0; March 17, 2025,
	6	+	sent to printer.)
	7	+	Click here to see the committee vote
	8	+	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 57 By: Campbell
4	9
5	10
6	11		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
7	12		AN ACT
8	13		relating to provisions and plans by public schools to ensure the
9	14		safety of individuals with disabilities or impairments during a
10	15		mandatory school drill or a disaster or emergency situation.
11	16		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	17		SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
13	18		amended by adding Section 29.0052 to read as follows:
14	19		Sec. 29.0052. INCLUSION OF ACCOMMODATIONS DURING MANDATORY
15	20		SCHOOL DRILLS IN INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM OR SECTION 504
16	21		PLAN. (a) In this section:
17	22		(1) "Committee" means a committee established under
18	23		Section 29.005(a).
19	24		(2) "Section 504 plan" means a plan created under
20	25		Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section 794).
21	26		(3) "Team" means a team established for a student
22	27		under Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section
23	28		794).
24	29		(b) In developing or modifying an individualized education
25	30		program or a Section 504 plan for a student, the student's committee
26	31		or team, as applicable, shall consider whether the student's
27	32		disabilities or impairments would require the school district to
28	33		provide any specific accommodations for the student during a
29	34		mandatory school drill required under Section 37.114. If the
30	35		student's committee or team determines that the student would
31	36		require a specific accommodation, the committee or team shall:
32	37		(1) identify each disability or impairment that
33	38		requires accommodation; and
34	39		(2) for each disability or impairment identified under
35	40		Subdivision (1), specify the required accommodations for that
36	41		disability or impairment.
37	42		(c) In making considerations and specifying required
38	43		accommodations under Subsection (b), a committee or team must
39	44		follow the guidelines established by the commissioner under Section
40	45		37.1086.
41	46		(d) A student's committee or team shall provide to each
42	47		administrator with emergency planning responsibilities at the
43	48		school district and campus at which the student is enrolled the
44	49		information described by Subsections (b)(1) and (2).
45	50		(e) A committee or team may invite school district and
46	51		campus administrators with emergency planning responsibilities to
47	52		assist the committee or team in making the considerations and
48	53		specifying the required accommodations described by Subsection
49	54		(b).
50	55		SECTION 2. Section 37.108(f), Education Code, is amended to
51	56		read as follows:
52	57		(f) A school district shall include in its multihazard
53	58		emergency operations plan:
54	59		(1) a chain of command that designates the individual
55	60		responsible for making final decisions during a disaster or
56	61		emergency situation and identifies other individuals responsible
57	62		for making those decisions if the designated person is unavailable;
58	63		(2) provisions that address physical and
59	64		psychological safety for responding to a natural disaster, active
60	65		shooter, and any other dangerous scenario identified for purposes
61	66		of this section by the agency or the Texas School Safety Center;
62	67		(3) provisions for ensuring the safety of students in
63	68		portable buildings;
64	69		(4) provisions for ensuring that students and district
65	70		personnel with disabilities are provided equal access to safety
66	71		during a disaster or emergency situation based on the guidelines
67	72		established by the commissioner under Section 37.1086;
68	73		(5) provisions for providing immediate notification
69	74		to parents, guardians, and other persons standing in parental
70	75		relation in circumstances involving a significant threat to the
71	76		health or safety of students, including identification of the
72	77		individual with responsibility for overseeing the notification;
73	78		(6) provisions for supporting the psychological
74	79		safety of students, district personnel, and the community during
75	80		the response and recovery phase following a disaster or emergency
76	81		situation that:
77	82		(A) are aligned with best practice-based
78	83		programs and research-based practices recommended under Section
79	84		38.351;
80	85		(B) include strategies for ensuring any required
81	86		professional development training for suicide prevention and
82	87		grief-informed and trauma-informed care is provided to appropriate
83	88		school personnel;
84	89		(C) include training on integrating
85	90		psychological safety and suicide prevention strategies into the
86	91		district's plan, such as psychological first aid for schools
87	92		training, from an approved list of recommended training established
88	93		by the commissioner and Texas School Safety Center for:
89	94		(i) members of the district's school safety
90	95		and security committee under Section 37.109;
91	96		(ii) district school counselors and mental
92	97		health professionals; and
93	98		(iii) educators and other district
94	99		personnel as determined by the district;
95	100		(D) include strategies and procedures for
96	101		integrating and supporting physical and psychological safety that
97	102		align with the provisions described by Subdivision (2); and
98	103		(E) implement trauma-informed policies;
99	104		(7) a policy for providing a substitute teacher access
100	105		to school campus buildings and materials necessary for the
101	106		substitute teacher to carry out the duties of a district employee
102	107		during an emergency or a mandatory emergency drill;
103	108		(8) the name of each individual on the district's
104	109		school safety and security committee established under Section
105	110		37.109 and the date of each committee meeting during the preceding
106	111		year; and
107	112		(9) certification that the district is in compliance
108	113		with Section 37.117.
109	114		SECTION 3. Section 37.1086, Education Code, is amended to
110	115		read as follows:
111	116		Sec. 37.1086. GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOL DRILL ACCOMMODATIONS
112	117		AND MULTIHAZARD EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN PROVISIONS FOR
113	118		INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES OR IMPAIRMENTS. (a) The
114	119		commissioner by rule [agency] shall establish guidelines for:
115	120		(1) the considerations and specifications required
116	121		under Section 29.0052 regarding accommodations for a student with
117	122		an individualized education program or a plan created under Section
118	123		504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section 794); and
119	124		(2) the provisions in a school district's multihazard
120	125		emergency operations plan under Section 37.108(f)(4) to ensure the
121	126		safety of students and district personnel with disabilities or
122	127		impairments during a disaster or emergency situation.
123	128		(b) In establishing guidelines under Subsection (a), the
124	129		commissioner shall consult [, in consultation] with:
125	130		(1) the Texas School Safety Center;
126	131		(2) regional education service centers;
127	132		(3) public school educators and administrators who
128	133		work with students with disabilities or impairments; and
129	134		(4) advocacy groups representing individuals with
130	135		disabilities or impairments.
131	136		(c) [(b)] A school district must follow the guidelines
132	137		established by the commissioner [agency] under Subsection (a)(2)
133	138		[(a)] in adopting and implementing the district's multihazard
134	139		emergency operations plan under Section 37.108.
135	140		SECTION 4. As soon as practicable after the effective date
136	141		of this Act but not later than June 1, 2026, the commissioner of
137	142		education shall adopt rules establishing the guidelines required by
138	143		Section 37.1086, Education Code, as amended by this Act.
139	144		SECTION 5. Section 29.0052, Education Code, as added by
140	145		this Act, applies beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.
141	146		SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
142	147		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
143	148		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
144	149		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
145	150		Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
	151	+	* * * * *