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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a highly contagious communicable disease health and |
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safety plan prepared by a school district. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 38.044 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 38.044. HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS COMMUNICABLE DISEASE HEALTH |
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AND SAFETY PLAN. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Communicable disease" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 81.003, Health and Safety Code. |
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(2) "Highly contagious communicable disease" means a |
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communicable disease that creates a substantial risk of public |
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exposure because of the disease's high level of contagion or the |
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method by which the disease is transmitted. |
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(b) Each school district shall prepare and maintain a health |
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and safety plan for preventing the spread of a highly contagious |
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communicable disease at school district campuses. The health and |
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safety plan must include provisions for, if appropriate to prevent |
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the spread of the disease: |
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(1) providing hand washing schedules for students and |
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school personnel; |
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(2) requiring temperature checks for students and |
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school personnel; |
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(3) requiring classrooms to be arranged to provide for |
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physical separation between students' desks based on social |
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distancing recommendations by local health officials; |
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(4) including sanitation protocols for campus |
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facilities; |
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(5) maintaining an inventory of personal protection |
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equipment and cleaning supplies; |
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(6) notifying students, parents, and school personnel |
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if a member of the school community receives a positive test result |
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for a highly contagious communicable disease; |
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(7) including protocols for handling a positive test |
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result among members of the school community; and |
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(8) including a list of community and school health |
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centers and resources available to members of the school community. |
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(c) Not later than the beginning of each school year, each |
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school district shall: |
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(1) review and, if necessary, revise the health and |
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safety plan prepared under Subsection (b); and |
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(2) submit the district's health and safety plan to the |
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agency. |
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SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act but not later than the beginning of the 2021-2022 school |
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year, each school district shall prepare a highly contagious |
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communicable disease health and safety plan and submit the |
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district's plan to the Texas Education Agency as required by |
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Section 38.044, Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. 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, 2021. |