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.