By Hochberg                                      H.B. No. 388

      75R3270 KKA-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the confidentiality of preliminary findings of on-site

 1-3     investigations conducted by the Texas Education Agency.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 39.076, Education Code, is amended by

 1-6     adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

 1-7           (c)  Preliminary findings and any associated documents are

 1-8     confidential until the agency issues a report with its final

 1-9     findings, except the agency may immediately notify an appropriate

1-10     law enforcement agency if information obtained by the agency

1-11     indicates that an offense may have been committed.  Information

1-12     disclosed to a law enforcement agency remains confidential until

1-13     the agency issues a report with final findings, and the law

1-14     enforcement agency may not disclose the information until that time

1-15     except as necessary to further the law enforcement agency's

1-16     investigation or to prosecute a criminal violation.

1-17           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-18     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-22     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-23     passage, and it is so enacted.