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AN ACT
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relating to establishing a committee in certain counties to |
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recommend a uniform truancy policy. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 25.0916 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 25.0916. UNIFORM TRUANCY POLICIES IN CERTAIN COUNTIES. |
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(a) This section applies only to a county: |
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(1) with a population greater than 1.5 million; and |
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(2) that includes at least: |
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(A) 15 school districts with the majority of |
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district territory in the county; and |
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(B) one school district with a student enrollment |
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of 50,000 or more and an annual dropout rate spanning grades 9-12 of |
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at least five percent, computed in accordance with standards and |
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definitions adopted by the National Center for Education Statistics |
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of the United States Department of Education. |
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(b) A committee shall be established to recommend a uniform |
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truancy policy for each school district located in the county. |
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(c) Not later than September 1, 2013, the county judge and |
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the mayor of the municipality in the county with the greatest |
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population shall each appoint one member to serve on the committee |
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as a representative of each of the following: |
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(1) a juvenile district court; |
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(2) a municipal court; |
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(3) the office of a justice of the peace; |
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(4) the superintendent or designee of an independent |
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school district; |
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(5) an open-enrollment charter school; |
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(6) the office of the district attorney; and |
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(7) the general public. |
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(d) Not later than September 1, 2013, the county judge shall |
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appoint to serve on the committee one member from the house of |
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representatives and one member from the senate who are members of |
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the respective standing legislative committees with primary |
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jurisdiction over public education. |
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(e) The county judge and mayor of the municipality in the |
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county with the greatest population shall: |
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(1) both serve on the committee or appoint |
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representatives to serve on their behalf; and |
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(2) jointly appoint a member of the committee to serve |
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as the presiding officer. |
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(f) Not later than September 1, 2014, the committee shall |
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recommend: |
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(1) a uniform process for filing truancy cases with |
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the judicial system; |
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(2) uniform administrative procedures; |
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(3) uniform deadlines for processing truancy cases; |
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(4) effective prevention, intervention, and diversion |
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methods to reduce truancy and referrals to a county, justice, or |
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municipal court; |
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(5) a system for tracking truancy information and |
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sharing truancy information among school districts and |
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open-enrollment charter schools in the county; and |
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(6) any changes to statutes or state agency rules the |
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committee determines are necessary to address truancy. |
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(g) Compliance with the committee recommendations is |
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voluntary. |
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(h) The committee's presiding officer shall issue a report |
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not later than December 1, 2015, on the implementation of the |
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recommendations and compliance with state truancy laws by a school |
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district located in the county. |
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(i) This section expires January 1, 2016. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 1479 was passed by the House on April |
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18, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 1, 2 present, not |
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voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. |
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No. 1479 on May 24, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 145, Nays 0, |
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2 present, not voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 1479 was passed by the Senate, with |
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amendments, on May 22, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays |
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0. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: __________________ |
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Date |
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__________________ |
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Governor |