By:  Luna                                              S.B. No. 471

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to public school admission and attendance.

 1-2           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-3           SECTION 1.  Section 37.001, Education Code, is amended by

 1-4     adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

 1-5           (c)  A district may require a person who voluntarily enrolls

 1-6     in school after completing the academic year in which the person's

 1-7     18th birthday occurred to attend school each school day for the

 1-8     entire period the program of instruction is offered.  If a person

 1-9     voluntarily enrolled has unexcused absences from school of 10 or

1-10     more days or parts of days in one six-month period or three or more

1-11     days or parts of days within a four-week period, a school district

1-12     may:

1-13                 (1)  withdraw the person from enrollment; and

1-14                 (2)  prohibit the person from re-enrolling in the

1-15     district until the following semester.

1-16           SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 1997-1998

1-17     school year.

1-18           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-19     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-20     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-21     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-22     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-23     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 2-1     passage, and it is so enacted.