Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E. Line and page numbers may not match official copy. By Zbranek H.B. No. 2720 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to granting excused absences from the school day for 1-3 certain students. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Section 25.087, Education Code, is amended to 1-6 read as follows: 1-7 (a) A child required to attend school may be excused for 1-8 temporary absence resulting from any cause acceptable to the 1-9 teacher, principal, or superintendent of the school in which the 1-10 child is enrolled. The local school board may adopt a policy 1-11 granting excused absences to students who maintain an elevated 1-12 level of academic achievement. 1-13 (b) A school district shall excuse a student from attending 1-14 school for the purpose of observing religious holy days, including 1-15 traveling for that purpose, if before the absence the parent, or 1-16 guardian, or person having custody or control of the student 1-17 submits a written request for the excused absence. A school 1-18 district shall excuse a student for temporary absence resulting 1-19 from health care professionals if that student commences classes or 1-20 returns to school on the same day of the appointment. A student 1-21 whose absence is excused under this subsection may not be penalized 1-22 for that absence and shall be counted as if the student attended 1-23 school for purposes of calculating the average daily attendance of 1-24 students in the school district. A student whose absence is 2-1 excused under this subsection shall be allowed a reasonable time to 2-2 make up school work missed on those days. If the student 2-3 satisfactorily completes the school work, the day of absence shall 2-4 be counted as a day of compulsory attendance. 2-5 SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 1997-1998 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.