By: Ellis, Zaffirini S.B. No. 290 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to corporal punishment in public schools. 1-2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-3 SECTION 1. Subchapter I, Chapter 21, Education Code, is 1-4 amended by adding Section 21.310 to read as follows: 1-5 Sec. 21.310. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT. (a) An employee of a 1-6 public school may not administer corporal punishment to a student. 1-7 (b) An employee of a public school may use reasonable and 1-8 necessary physical restraining techniques for the purpose of: 1-9 (1) preventing a student from injuring a person or 1-10 property; 1-11 (2) self-defense; or 1-12 (3) obtaining possession from a pupil of a weapon or 1-13 other dangerous object or of a controlled substance as defined in 1-14 Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code (Texas Controlled Substances 1-15 Act). 1-16 (c) In this section, "corporal punishment" includes hitting, 1-17 spanking, or slapping a student with a hand or an object. 1-18 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 1-19 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-20 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-21 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-22 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 1-23 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-1 passage, and it is so enacted.