By Marchant H.B. No. 1852 74R6232 KKA-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to permitting public school students to attend courses in 1-3 religious instruction during the school day. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 21.0351 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 21.0351. EXCUSED ABSENCE FOR RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION. 1-8 (a) A school district shall, on written request from a student's 1-9 parent, excuse a student from attending school for not more than 36 1-10 hours each school year for the purpose of attending a course in 1-11 religious instruction. A parent's request must identify the course 1-12 the student will attend and specify the date and time of each 1-13 proposed absence. 1-14 (b) A parent of a student excused under this section shall, 1-15 after each absence, provide the school district with a written 1-16 statement verifying that the student attended the religious 1-17 instruction identified in the parent's request under Subsection 1-18 (a). 1-19 (c) A district shall provide a student whose absence is 1-20 excused under this section with a reasonable opportunity to make up 1-21 school work missed during the absence. If the student 1-22 satisfactorily completes the school work, the absence does not 1-23 adversely affect the student's compliance with compulsory school 1-24 attendance requirements. 2-1 (d) A student whose absence is excused under this section 2-2 shall be counted as if the student attended school during the 2-3 absence for purposes of computing the average daily attendance of 2-4 students in the school district. 2-5 SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 1995-1996 2-6 school year. 2-7 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-12 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-13 passage, and it is so enacted.