By: Whitmire  S.B. No. 1234
         (In the Senate - Filed March 6, 2013; March 13, 2013, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice;
  April 15, 2013, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
  Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 4, Nays 0; April 15, 2013,
  sent to printer.)
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1234 By:  Whitmire
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the prevention of truancy and the offense of failure to
  attend school.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subsection (i), Article 45.054, Code of Criminal
  Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
         (i)  A county, justice, or municipal court shall dismiss the
  complaint against an individual alleging that the individual
  committed an offense under Section 25.094, Education Code, if:
               (1)  the court finds that the individual has
  successfully complied with the conditions imposed on the individual
  by the court under this article; or
               (2)  the individual presents to the court proof that
  the individual has obtained a high school diploma or a high school
  equivalency certificate after taking a high school equivalency
  examination administered under Section 7.111, Education Code.
         SECTION 2.  Subsection (e), Article 45.055, Code of Criminal
  Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
         (e)  A court shall expunge an individual's conviction under
  Section 25.094, Education Code, and records relating to a
  conviction, regardless of whether the individual has previously
  been convicted of an offense under that section, if:
               (1)  the court finds that the individual has
  successfully complied with the conditions imposed on the individual
  by the court under Article 45.054; or
               (2)  before the individual's 21st birthday, the
  individual presents to the court proof that the individual has
  obtained a high school diploma or a high school equivalency
  certificate after taking a high school equivalency examination
  administered under Section 7.111, Education Code.
         SECTION 3.  Article 45.056, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (a-1), [On approval of
  the commissioners court, city council, school district board of
  trustees, juvenile board, or other appropriate authority,] a county
  court, justice court, municipal court, school district, or juvenile
  probation department shall[, or other appropriate governmental
  entity may:
               [(1)]  employ a case manager or agree, in accordance
  with Chapter 791, Government Code, with any entity listed in this
  subsection or another appropriate governmental entity to jointly
  employ a case manager to provide services in cases involving:
               (1)  a juvenile offender who is [offenders] before a
  court consistent with the court's statutory powers; or
               (2)  a student, before the student is referred to a
  court for a violation of Section 25.094, Education Code, who is
  referred to the case manager by a school administrator or designee
  for intervention services because the student is considered at risk
  of dropping out of school, if the student and the student's parent
  or guardian consent to the referral to the [agree in accordance with
  Chapter 791, Government Code, to jointly employ a] case manager.
         (a-1)  A school district that has selected an attendance
  officer under Section 25.088, Education Code, is not required to
  employ a case manager.
         SECTION 4.  Subsection (a), Section 25.087, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A person required to attend school[, including a person
  required to attend school under Section 25.085(e),] may be excused
  for temporary absence resulting from any cause acceptable to the
  teacher, principal, or superintendent of the school in which the
  person is enrolled.
         SECTION 5.  Section 25.0915, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 25.0915.  TRUANCY PREVENTION MEASURES; REFERRAL AND
  FILING REQUIREMENT. (a)  A school district shall adopt truancy
  prevention measures designed to:
               (1)  address student conduct related to truancy in the
  school setting before the student violates Section 25.094;
               (2)  minimize the need for referrals to juvenile court
  for conduct described by Section 51.03(b)(2), Family Code; and
               (3)  minimize the filing of complaints in county,
  justice, and municipal courts alleging a violation of Section
  25.094.
         (b)  As a truancy prevention measure under Subsection (a), a
  school district shall:
               (1)  issue a warning letter to the student and the
  student's parent or guardian that states the number of absences of
  the student and explains the consequences if the student has
  additional absences;
               (2)  impose:
                     (A)  a behavior contract on the student that must
  be signed by the student, the student's parent or guardian, and an
  employee of the school and that includes:
                           (i)  a specific description of the behavior
  that is required or prohibited for the student;
                           (ii)  the period for which the contract will
  be effective, not to exceed 45 school days after the date the
  contract becomes effective; and
                           (iii)  the penalties for additional
  absences, including additional disciplinary action or the referral
  of the student to a juvenile court; and
                     (B)  school-based community service; or
               (3)  refer the student to counseling, community-based
  services, or other in-school or out-of-school services aimed at
  addressing the student's truancy.
         (c)  A referral made under Subsection (b)(3) may include
  participation by the child's parent or guardian if necessary.
         (d)  Each referral to juvenile court for conduct described by
  Section 51.03(b)(2), Family Code, or complaint filed in county,
  justice, or municipal court alleging a violation by a student of
  Section 25.094 must:
               (1)  be accompanied by a statement from the student's
  school certifying that:
                     (A)  the school applied the truancy prevention
  measures adopted under Subsection (a) to the student; and
                     (B)  the truancy prevention measures failed to
  meaningfully address the student's school attendance; and
               (2)  specify whether the student is eligible for or
  receives special education services under Subchapter A, Chapter 29.
         SECTION 6.  Subsection (e), Section 25.094, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (e)  An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor
  punishable by a fine not to exceed $100.
         SECTION 7.  Subsections (a) and (b), Section 25.0951,
  Education Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  If a student fails to attend school without excuse on 10
  or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in the same
  school year, a school district shall within 10 school days of the
  student's 10th absence:
               (1)  file a complaint against the student or the
  student's parent [or both] in a county, justice, or municipal court
  for an offense under Section 25.093 or 25.094, as appropriate, or
  refer the student to a juvenile court in a county with a population
  of less than 100,000 for conduct that violates Section 25.094; or
               (2)  refer the student to a juvenile court for conduct
  indicating a need for supervision under Section 51.03(b)(2), Family
  Code.
         (b)  If a student fails to attend school without excuse on
  three or more days or parts of days within a four-week period but
  does not fail to attend school for the time described by Subsection
  (a), the school district may:
               (1)  file a complaint against the student or the
  student's parent [or both] in a county, justice, or municipal court
  for an offense under Section 25.093 or 25.094, as appropriate, or
  refer the student to a juvenile court in a county with a population
  of less than 100,000 for conduct that violates Section 25.094; or
               (2)  refer the student to a juvenile court for conduct
  indicating a need for supervision under Section 51.03(b)(2), Family
  Code.
         SECTION 8.  Subsections (e) and (f), Section 25.085,
  Education Code, are repealed.
         SECTION 9.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  conduct violating Section 25.094, Education Code, on or after the
  effective date of this Act. A violation that occurs before the
  effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the
  violation occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for
  that purpose.  For purposes of this section, a violation occurs
  before the effective date of this Act if any element of the
  violation occurs before that date.
         SECTION 10.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
 
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