By: Bell of Kaufman, Huberty, Toth, H.B. No. 1468
      González of El Paso, Dutton, et al.
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to a local remote learning program offered by a public
  school.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 25.092, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (a-3) to read as follows:
         (a-3)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school
  may adopt a policy to exempt students from the requirements of this
  section for one or more courses identified in the policy that are
  offered under a local remote learning program under Section
  29.9091.  This subsection expires September 1, 2027.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 29.9091 to read as follows:
         Sec. 29.9091.  LOCAL REMOTE LEARNING PROGRAM. (a)  In this
  section, "synchronous instruction" means instruction provided in a
  manner in which the instructor and the student are engaged at the
  same time with the ability to interact in real time.
         (b)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
  establish a local remote learning program to offer synchronous
  virtual courses outside the state virtual school network under
  Chapter 30A to eligible students. 
         (c)  A virtual course offered under a local remote learning
  program:
               (1)  must be provided through synchronous instruction;
  and 
               (2)  may be provided in combination with in-person
  instruction as appropriate to meet the needs of individual
  students.
         (d)  A student is eligible to enroll in a virtual course
  offered under a local remote learning program if the student:
               (1)  was enrolled in a public school in this state in
  the preceding school year;
               (2)  is enrolled in a school district or
  open-enrollment charter school in grade level three or above;
               (3)  has reasonable access to in-person services for
  the course at a district or school facility; and
               (4)  meets any additional criteria, including minimum
  academic standards, established by the school district or
  open-enrollment charter school in which the student is enrolled.
         (e)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school
  that offers a local remote learning program:
               (1)  shall periodically assess the performance of
  students enrolled in virtual courses under the program; and
               (2)  may remove a student from virtual courses under
  the program and return the student to in-person instruction if the
  district or school determines that the student does not meet the
  criteria described by Subsection (d).
         (f)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
  contract with another school district or open-enrollment charter
  school to allow a student enrolled in the sending district or school
  to enroll in virtual courses offered under the local remote
  learning program of the receiving district or school. A student
  enrolled in virtual courses under an agreement described by this
  subsection is considered enrolled in the sending district or school
  for purposes of average daily attendance and accountability under
  Chapters 39 and 39A.
         (g)  An assessment instrument administered under Section
  39.023 or 39.025 to a student enrolled in a virtual course offered
  under a local remote learning program shall be administered to the
  student in the same manner in which the assessment instrument is
  administered to other school district or open-enrollment charter
  school students.
         (h)  If a school district or open-enrollment charter school
  offers virtual courses under a local remote learning program for
  students receiving special education services, the courses must
  meet the needs of a participating student in a manner consistent
  with Subchapter A of this chapter and with federal law, including
  the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Section
  1400 et seq.) and Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C.
  Section 794).
         (i)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
  not require a teacher to provide both virtual instruction and
  in-person instruction for a course during the same class period.
         (j)  A student enrolled in a virtual course offered under a
  local remote learning program may participate in an extracurricular
  activity sponsored or sanctioned by the school district or
  open-enrollment charter school in which the student is enrolled or
  by the University Interscholastic League in the same manner as
  other district or school students.
         (k)  A student enrolled in a virtual course offered under a
  local remote learning program shall be counted toward the school
  district's or open-enrollment charter school's average daily
  attendance in the same manner as other district or school students.
  The commissioner shall adopt rules providing for a method of taking
  attendance, once each school day, for students enrolled in a
  virtual course offered under a local remote learning program.
         (l)  Chapter 30A does not apply to a virtual course offered
  under a local remote learning program.
         (m)  This section expires September 1, 2027.
         SECTION 3.  Section 39.301, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows:
         (c-1)  In addition to the indicators described by Subsection
  (c), the indicators for reporting purposes must include, for each
  school district and campus, the performance of students who spend
  at least half of the students' instructional time in virtual
  courses offered under a local remote learning program under Section
  29.9091.  This subsection expires September 1, 2027.
         SECTION 4.  Section 48.053, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:
         (b-1)  This subsection applies only to a special-purpose
  district described by Subsection (a) that existed before September
  1, 2019. For a district to which this subsection applies, the
  commissioner shall establish an asynchronous progression funding
  method that may be used to determine the amount of the district's
  entitlement under Subsection (b) based on full and partial semester
  course completion.
         SECTION 5.  This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022
  school year.
         SECTION 6.  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, 2021.