By Nixon                                                H.B. No. 94

      75R1815 KKA-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to participation in University Interscholastic League

 1-3     activities.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 33, Education Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Section 33.0831 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 33.0831.  PARTICIPATION IN UNIVERSITY INTERSCHOLASTIC

 1-8     LEAGUE ACTIVITIES.  (a)  The University Interscholastic League may

 1-9     not deny a child eligible to attend school under Section 25.001(a)

1-10     the opportunity to participate in an activity sponsored by the

1-11     league on the ground that the child does not attend public school.

1-12     The league may not deny a school the opportunity to participate in

1-13     an activity sponsored by the league because the school is a private

1-14     school.  The league's rules must be designed to allow all children

1-15     and schools in this state to participate in league activities in

1-16     the same manner.

1-17           (b)  A student is ineligible to participate in league

1-18     activities for a period of 300 days after the date the student

1-19     withdraws from public school if the student, at the time the

1-20     student withdraws, has a grade average for the portion of the

1-21     school year completed lower than the equivalent of 70 on a scale of

1-22     100 in any academic class, other than an identified honors or

1-23     advanced class.

1-24           (c)  In this section, "private school" has the meaning

 2-1     assigned by Section 22.081.

 2-2           SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 1997-1998

 2-3     school year.

 2-4           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-5     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-6     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-7     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-8     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 2-9     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-10     passage, and it is so enacted.