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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to provisions and plans by public schools to ensure the |
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safety of individuals with disabilities or impairments during a |
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mandatory school drill or a disaster or emergency situation. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 29.0052 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 29.0052. INCLUSION OF ACCOMMODATIONS DURING MANDATORY |
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SCHOOL DRILLS IN INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM OR SECTION 504 |
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PLAN. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Committee" means a committee established under |
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Section 29.005(a). |
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(2) "Section 504 plan" means a plan created under |
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Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section 794). |
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(3) "Team" means a team established for a student |
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under Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section |
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794). |
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(b) In developing or modifying an individualized education |
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program or a Section 504 plan for a student, the student's committee |
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or team, as applicable, shall consider whether the student's |
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disabilities or impairments would require the school district to |
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provide any specific accommodations for the student during a |
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mandatory school drill required under Section 37.114. If the |
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student's committee or team determines that the student would |
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require a specific accommodation, the committee or team shall: |
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(1) identify each disability or impairment that |
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requires accommodation; and |
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(2) for each disability or impairment identified under |
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Subdivision (1), recommend specific accommodations for that |
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disability or impairment. |
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(c) In making considerations and recommendations under |
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Subsection (b), a committee or team must follow the guidelines |
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established by the agency under Section 37.1086. |
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(d) A student's committee or team shall provide to each |
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administrator with emergency planning responsibilities at the |
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school district and campus at which the student is enrolled the |
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information described by Subsections (b)(1) and (2). |
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(e) A committee or team may invite school district and |
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campus administrators with emergency planning responsibilities to |
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assist the committee or team in making the considerations and |
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recommendations described by Subsection (b). |
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SECTION 2. Section 37.108(f), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(f) A school district shall include in its multihazard |
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emergency operations plan: |
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(1) a chain of command that designates the individual |
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responsible for making final decisions during a disaster or |
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emergency situation and identifies other individuals responsible |
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for making those decisions if the designated person is unavailable; |
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(2) provisions that address physical and |
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psychological safety for responding to a natural disaster, active |
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shooter, and any other dangerous scenario identified for purposes |
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of this section by the agency or the Texas School Safety Center; |
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(3) provisions for ensuring the safety of students in |
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portable buildings; |
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(4) provisions for ensuring that students and district |
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personnel with disabilities are provided equal access to safety |
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during a disaster or emergency situation based on the guidelines |
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established by the agency under Section 37.1086; |
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(5) provisions for providing immediate notification |
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to parents, guardians, and other persons standing in parental |
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relation in circumstances involving a significant threat to the |
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health or safety of students, including identification of the |
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individual with responsibility for overseeing the notification; |
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(6) provisions for supporting the psychological |
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safety of students, district personnel, and the community during |
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the response and recovery phase following a disaster or emergency |
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situation that: |
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(A) are aligned with best practice-based |
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programs and research-based practices recommended under Section |
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38.351; |
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(B) include strategies for ensuring any required |
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professional development training for suicide prevention and |
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grief-informed and trauma-informed care is provided to appropriate |
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school personnel; |
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(C) include training on integrating |
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psychological safety and suicide prevention strategies into the |
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district's plan, such as psychological first aid for schools |
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training, from an approved list of recommended training established |
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by the commissioner and Texas School Safety Center for: |
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(i) members of the district's school safety |
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and security committee under Section 37.109; |
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(ii) district school counselors and mental |
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health professionals; and |
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(iii) educators and other district |
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personnel as determined by the district; |
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(D) include strategies and procedures for |
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integrating and supporting physical and psychological safety that |
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align with the provisions described by Subdivision (2); and |
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(E) implement trauma-informed policies; |
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(7) a policy for providing a substitute teacher access |
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to school campus buildings and materials necessary for the |
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substitute teacher to carry out the duties of a district employee |
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during an emergency or a mandatory emergency drill; |
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(8) the name of each individual on the district's |
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school safety and security committee established under Section |
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37.109 and the date of each committee meeting during the preceding |
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year; and |
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(9) certification that the district is in compliance |
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with Section 37.117. |
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SECTION 3. Section 37.1086, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 37.1086. GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOL DRILL ACCOMMODATIONS |
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AND MULTIHAZARD EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN PROVISIONS FOR |
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INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES OR IMPAIRMENTS. (a) The agency |
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shall establish guidelines for: |
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(1) the considerations and recommendations required |
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under Section 29.0052 regarding accommodations for a student with |
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an individualized education program or a plan created under Section |
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504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section 794); and |
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(2) the provisions in a school district's multihazard |
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emergency operations plan under Section 37.108(f)(4) to ensure the |
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safety of students and district personnel with disabilities or |
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impairments during a disaster or emergency situation. |
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(b) In establishing guidelines under Subsection (a), the |
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agency shall consult [, in consultation] with: |
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(1) the Texas School Safety Center; |
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(2) regional education service centers; |
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(3) public school educators and administrators who |
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work with students with disabilities or impairments; and |
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(4) advocacy groups representing individuals with |
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disabilities or impairments. |
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(c) [(b)] A school district must follow the guidelines |
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established by the agency under Subsection (a)(2) [(a)] in adopting |
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and implementing the district's multihazard emergency operations |
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plan under Section 37.108. |
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SECTION 4. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act but not later than December 1, 2025, the Texas Education |
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Agency shall establish the guidelines required by Section 37.1086, |
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Education Code, as amended by this Act. |
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SECTION 5. Section 29.0052, Education Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. |
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SECTION 6. 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, 2025. |