By:  Lucio                                             S.B. No. 433

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the first instructional day of a school year for public

 1-2     school students.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Education Code, is

 1-5     amended by adding Section 25.0811 to read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 25.0811.  FIRST INSTRUCTIONAL DAY.  A school district

 1-7     may not begin instruction for students for a school year before

 1-8     September 1.  The commissioner shall grant exemptions on written

 1-9     request by the school district.

1-10           SECTION 2.  Subsection (a), Section 25.084, Education Code,

1-11     is amended to read as follows:

1-12           (a)  A school district may operate its schools year-round on

1-13     either a single-track or a multitrack calendar.  If a school

1-14     district adopts a year-round system, the district may modify:

1-15                 (1)  the number of contract days of employees and the

1-16     number of days of operation, including any time required for staff

1-17     development, planning and preparation, and continuing education,

1-18     otherwise required by law;

1-19                 (2)  testing dates, data reporting, and related

1-20     matters; [and]

1-21                 (3)  the first day of instruction for students for a

1-22     school year; and

1-23                 (4)  a student's eligibility to participate in

 2-1     extracurricular activities when the student's calendar track is not

 2-2     in session.

 2-3           SECTION 3.  Section 25.0811, Education Code, as added by this

 2-4     Act, and Subsection (a), Section 25.084, Education Code, as amended

 2-5     by this Act, apply beginning with the 1997-1998 school year.

 2-6           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-7     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-8     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-9     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-10     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-11     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-12     passage, and it is so enacted.