| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
| |
|
|
relating to allowing public schools to employ or accept as |
|
|
volunteers chaplains to perform the duties of school counselors. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 33.002, Education Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Subsection (d) to read as follows: |
|
|
(d) Notwithstanding Subsections (b) and (c) or any other |
|
|
law, a school district or an open-enrollment charter school may |
|
|
employ or accept as a volunteer a chaplain to perform the duties |
|
|
required of a school counselor under this title. A chaplain |
|
|
employed or volunteering under this subsection is not required to |
|
|
be certified by the State Board for Educator Certification. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 48.115(b), Education Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
(b) Funds allocated under this section must be used to |
|
|
improve school safety and security, including costs associated |
|
|
with: |
|
|
(1) securing school facilities, including: |
|
|
(A) improvements to school infrastructure; |
|
|
(B) the use or installation of physical barriers; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(C) the purchase and maintenance of: |
|
|
(i) security cameras or other security |
|
|
equipment; and |
|
|
(ii) technology, including communications |
|
|
systems or devices, that facilitates communication and information |
|
|
sharing between students, school personnel, and first responders in |
|
|
an emergency; |
|
|
(2) providing security for the district, including: |
|
|
(A) employing school district peace officers, |
|
|
private security officers, and school marshals; and |
|
|
(B) collaborating with local law enforcement |
|
|
agencies, such as entering into a memorandum of understanding for |
|
|
the assignment of school resource officers to schools in the |
|
|
district; |
|
|
(3) school safety and security training and planning, |
|
|
including: |
|
|
(A) active shooter and emergency response |
|
|
training; |
|
|
(B) prevention and treatment programs relating |
|
|
to addressing adverse childhood experiences; and |
|
|
(C) the prevention, identification, and |
|
|
management of emergencies and threats, using evidence-based, |
|
|
effective prevention practices and including: |
|
|
(i) providing licensed counselors, social |
|
|
workers, chaplains, and individuals trained in restorative |
|
|
discipline and restorative justice practices; |
|
|
(ii) providing mental health personnel and |
|
|
support, including chaplains; |
|
|
(iii) providing behavioral health |
|
|
services, including services provided by chaplains; |
|
|
(iv) establishing threat reporting |
|
|
systems; and |
|
|
(v) developing and implementing programs |
|
|
focused on restorative justice practices, culturally relevant |
|
|
instruction, and providing mental health support, including |
|
|
support provided by chaplains; and |
|
|
(4) providing programs related to suicide prevention, |
|
|
intervention, and postvention, including programs provided by |
|
|
chaplains. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Each board of trustees of a school district and |
|
|
each governing body of an open-enrollment charter school shall take |
|
|
a record vote not later than six months after the effective date of |
|
|
this Act on whether to adopt a policy authorizing a campus of the |
|
|
district or school to hire or accept as a volunteer a chaplain under |
|
|
Section 33.002(d), Education Code, as added by this Act. |
|
|
SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024 |
|
|
school year. |
|
|
SECTION 5. 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. |
|
|
|
|
|
* * * * * |