1-1     By:  Luna                                              S.B. No. 471

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 6, 1997; February 11, 1997,

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

 1-4     April 25, 1997, reported adversely, with favorable Committee

 1-5     Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0; April 25, 1997,

 1-6     sent to printer.)

 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 471                     By:  Luna

 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-9                                   AN ACT

1-10     relating to public school admission and attendance.

1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-12           SECTION 1.  Section 37.001, Education Code, is amended by

1-13     adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

1-14           (c)  A district may require a person who voluntarily enrolls

1-15     in school after completing the academic year in which the person's

1-16     18th birthday occurred to attend school each school day for the

1-17     entire period the program of instruction is offered.  If a person

1-18     voluntarily enrolled has unexcused absences from school of 10 or

1-19     more days or parts of days in one six-month period or three or more

1-20     days or parts of days within a four-week period, a school district

1-21     may:

1-22                 (1)  withdraw the person from enrollment; and

1-23                 (2)  prohibit the person from re-enrolling in the

1-24     district until the following semester.

1-25           SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 1997-1998

1-26     school year.

1-27           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-28     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-29     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-30     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-31     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-32     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-33     passage, and it is so enacted.

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