S.B. No. 300
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to eliminating or modifying certain mandates on school
  districts.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subsection (d), Section 11.1513, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (d)  The employment policy must provide that not later than
  the 10th school day before the date on which a district fills a
  vacant position for which a certificate or license is required as
  provided by Section 21.003, other than a position that affects the
  safety and security of students as determined by the board of
  trustees, the district must provide to each current district
  employee:
               (1)  notice of the position by posting the position on:
                     (A)  a bulletin board at:
                           (i)  a place convenient to the public in the
  district's central administrative office; and
                           (ii)  the central administrative office of
  each campus in the district during any time the office is open; or
  [and]
                     (B)  the district's Internet website, if the
  district has a website; and
               (2)  a reasonable opportunity to apply for the
  position.
         SECTION 2.  Section 25.112, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsections (e), (f), and (g) to
  read as follows:
         (d)  On application of a school district, the commissioner
  may except the district from the limit in Subsection (a) if the
  commissioner finds the limit works an undue hardship on the
  district. An exception expires at the end of the school year
  [semester] for which it is granted[, and the commissioner may not
  grant an exception for:
               [(1)  more than one semester at a time].
         (e)  A school district seeking an exception under Subsection
  (d) shall notify the commissioner and apply for the exception not
  later than the later of:
               (1)  October 1; or
               (2)  the 30th day after the first school day the
  district exceeds the limit in Subsection (a).
         (f)  If a school district repeatedly fails to comply with
  this section, the commissioner may take any appropriate action
  authorized to be taken by the commissioner under Section 39.131.
         (g)  Not later than January 1, 2011, the agency shall report
  to the legislature the number of applications for exceptions under
  Subsection (d) submitted by each school district and for each
  application indicate whether the application was granted or denied.
  This subsection expires February 1, 2011.
         SECTION 3.  Section 34.0021, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (c-1) to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Pursuant to the safety standards established by the
  Department of Public Safety under Section 34.002, each school
  district may [shall] conduct a training session for students and
  teachers concerning procedures for evacuating a school bus during
  an emergency.
         (b)  A school district that chooses to conduct a training
  session under Subsection (a) is encouraged to [shall] conduct the
  school bus emergency evacuation training session [at least twice
  each school year, with one training session occurring] in the fall
  of the school year [and one training session occurring in the
  spring]. The school district is also encouraged to structure the
  training session so that the session applies to school bus
  passengers, a [A] portion of the [training] session occurs [must
  occur] on a school bus, and the [training] session lasts [must last]
  for at least one hour.
         (c-1)  Immediately before each field trip involving
  transportation by school bus, a school district is encouraged to
  review school bus emergency evacuation procedures with the school
  bus passengers, including a demonstration of the school bus
  emergency exits and the safe manner to exit.
         SECTION 4.  Section 44.902, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 44.902.  LONG-RANGE ENERGY PLAN [GOAL] TO REDUCE
  CONSUMPTION OF ELECTRIC ENERGY. (a)  The board of trustees of a
  school district shall establish a long-range energy plan [goal] to
  reduce the [school] district's annual electric consumption by five
  percent beginning with the 2008 [each] state fiscal year and
  consume electricity in subsequent fiscal years in accordance with
  the district's energy plan [for six years beginning September 1,
  2007].
         (b)  The plan required under Subsection (a) must include:
               (1)  strategies for achieving energy efficiency that:
                     (A)  result in net savings for the district; or
                     (B)  can be achieved without financial cost to the
  district; and
               (2)  for each strategy identified under Subdivision
  (1), the initial, short-term capital costs and lifetime costs and
  savings that may result from implementation of the strategy.
         (c)  In determining under Subsection (b) whether a strategy
  may result in financial cost to the district, the board of trustees
  shall consider the total net costs and savings that may occur over
  the seven-year period following implementation of the strategy.
         (d)  The board of trustees may submit the plan required under
  Subsection (a) to the State Energy Conservation Office for the
  purposes of determining whether funds available through loan
  programs administered by the office are available to the district.
         SECTION 5.  Subsection (b), Section 44.901, Education Code,
  is repealed.
         SECTION 6.  This Act applies beginning with the 2009-2010
  school year.
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 300 passed the Senate on
  March 25, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that
  the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 30, 2009, by the
  following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 300 passed the House, with
  amendment, on May 27, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 148,
  Nays 0, one present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor