By Wohlgemuth                                   H.B. No. 1671

      75R2864 ESH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to compulsory attendance in public schools.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 25.085(b), Education Code, is amended to

 1-5     read as follows:

 1-6           (b)  Unless specifically exempted by Section 25.086, a child

 1-7     who is at least six years of age, or who is younger than six years

 1-8     of age and has previously been enrolled in first grade, and who has

 1-9     not completed the academic year in which the child's 18th [17th]

1-10     birthday occurred shall attend school.

1-11           SECTION 2.  Section 25.086(a), Education Code, is amended to

1-12     read as follows:

1-13           (a)  A child is exempt from the requirements of compulsory

1-14     school attendance if the child:

1-15                 (1)  attends a private or parochial school that

1-16     includes in its course a study of good citizenship;

1-17                 (2)  is eligible to participate in a school district's

1-18     special education program under Section 29.003 and cannot be

1-19     appropriately served by the resident district;

1-20                 (3)  has a physical or mental condition of a temporary

1-21     and remediable nature that makes the child's attendance infeasible

1-22     and holds a certificate from a qualified physician specifying the

1-23     temporary condition, indicating the treatment prescribed to remedy

1-24     the temporary condition, and covering the anticipated period of the

 2-1     child's absence from school for the purpose of receiving and

 2-2     recuperating from that remedial treatment;

 2-3                 (4)  is expelled in accordance with the requirements of

 2-4     law;

 2-5                 (5)  is at least 17 years of age and:

 2-6                       (A)  is attending, with the permission of the

 2-7     child's parent or guardian or as required by court order, a course

 2-8     of instruction to prepare for the high school equivalency

 2-9     examination; or

2-10                       (B)  has received a high school diploma or high

2-11     school equivalency certificate;

2-12                 (6)  is at least 16 years of age and is attending a

2-13     course of instruction to prepare for the high school equivalency

2-14     examination, if the child is recommended to take the course of

2-15     instruction by a public agency that has supervision or custody of

2-16     the child under a court order;

2-17                 (7)  is enrolled in the Texas Academy of Mathematics

2-18     and Science;

2-19                 (8)  is enrolled in the Texas Academy of Leadership in

2-20     the Humanities; or

2-21                 (9)  is specifically exempted under another law.

2-22           SECTION 3.  This Act applies beginning with the 1997-1998

2-23     school year.

2-24           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-25     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-26     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-27     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-1     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 3-2     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 3-3     passage, and it is so enacted.