|
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to excused absences from public school for certain |
|
students to visit a professional's workplace for a career |
|
investigation day. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. Section 25.087, Education Code, is amended by |
|
adding Subsection (b-8) and amending Subsection (d) to read as |
|
follows: |
|
(b-8) A school district may excuse a student from attending |
|
school for a career investigation day to visit a professional at the |
|
professional's workplace during the student's junior and senior |
|
years of high school for the purpose of determining the student's |
|
interest in pursuing a career in the professional's field, provided |
|
that: |
|
(1) the district may not excuse for this purpose more |
|
than two days during the student's junior year and two days during |
|
the student's senior year; and |
|
(2) the district adopts: |
|
(A) a policy to determine when an absence may be |
|
excused for this purpose; and |
|
(B) a procedure to verify the student's visit at |
|
the professional's workplace. |
|
(d) A student whose absence is excused under Subsection (b), |
|
(b-1), (b-2), (b-4), (b-5), (b-7), (b-8), or (c) may not be |
|
penalized for that absence and shall be counted as if the student |
|
attended school for purposes of calculating the average daily |
|
attendance of students in the school district. A student whose |
|
absence is excused under Subsection (b), (b-1), (b-2), (b-4), |
|
(b-5), (b-7), (b-8), or (c) shall be allowed a reasonable time to |
|
make up school work missed on those days. If the student |
|
satisfactorily completes the school work, the day of absence shall |
|
be counted as a day of compulsory attendance. |
|
SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024 |
|
school year. |
|
SECTION 3. 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, 2023. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
______________________________ |
|
President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
|
|
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 68 passed the Senate on |
|
April 20, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
Secretary of the Senate |
|
|
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 68 passed the House on |
|
May 11, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 139, Nays 4, two |
|
present not voting. |
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
|
|
|
|
|
Approved: |
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
Date |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
Governor |