1-1     By:  Lucio                                             S.B. No. 433

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 4, 1997; February 6, 1997,

 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Education;

 1-4     April 11, 1997, reported favorably, as amended, by the following

 1-5     vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 3; April 11, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6     COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1                            By:  Shapleigh

 1-7     Amend S.B. No. 433 on page 1, line 20, after "September 1." by

 1-8     inserting the following:

 1-9     "The commissioner shall grant exemptions on written request by the

1-10     school district."

1-11                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

1-12                                   AN ACT

1-13     relating to the first instructional day of a school year for public

1-14     school students.

1-15           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-16           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Education Code, is

1-17     amended by adding Section 25.0811 to read as follows:

1-18           Sec. 25.0811.  FIRST INSTRUCTIONAL DAY.  A school district

1-19     may not begin instruction for students for a school year before

1-20     September 1.

1-21           SECTION 2.  Subsection (a), Section 25.084, Education Code,

1-22     is amended to read as follows:

1-23           (a)  A school district may operate its schools year-round on

1-24     either a single-track or a multitrack calendar.  If a school

1-25     district adopts a year-round system, the district may modify:

1-26                 (1)  the number of contract days of employees and the

1-27     number of days of operation, including any time required for staff

1-28     development, planning and preparation, and continuing education,

1-29     otherwise required by law;

1-30                 (2)  testing dates, data reporting, and related

1-31     matters; [and]

1-32                 (3)  the first day of instruction for students for a

1-33     school year; and

1-34                 (4)  a student's eligibility to participate in

1-35     extracurricular activities when the student's calendar track is not

1-36     in session.

1-37           SECTION 3.  Section 25.0811, Education Code, as added by this

1-38     Act, and Subsection (a), Section 25.084, Education Code, as amended

1-39     by this Act, apply beginning with the 1997-1998 school year.

1-40           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-41     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-42     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-43     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-44     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-45     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-46     passage, and it is so enacted.

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