AN ACT

 1-1     relating to parental consent for certain activities in public

 1-2     schools.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 26.009, Education Code, is amended to

 1-5     read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 26.009.  Consent Required for Certain Activities.

 1-7     (a)  An employee of a school district must obtain the written

 1-8     consent of a child's parent before the employee may:

 1-9                 (1)  conduct a psychological examination, test, or

1-10     treatment, unless the examination, test, or treatment is required

1-11     under Section 38.004 or state or federal law regarding requirements

1-12     for special education; or

1-13                 (2)  make or authorize the making of a videotape of a

1-14     child or record or authorize the recording of a child's voice.

1-15           (b)  An employee of a school district is not required to

1-16     obtain the consent of a child's parent before the employee may make

1-17     a videotape of a child or authorize the recording of a child's

1-18     voice if the videotape or voice recording is to be used only for:

1-19                 (1)  purposes of safety, including the maintenance of

1-20     order and discipline in common areas of the school or on school

1-21     buses;

1-22                 (2)  a purpose related to a cocurricular or

1-23     extracurricular activity; [or]

 2-1                 (3)  a purpose related to regular classroom

 2-2     instruction; or

 2-3                 (4)  media coverage of the school.

 2-4           SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 1997-1998

 2-5     school year.

 2-6           SECTION 3.  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.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 521 passed the Senate on

         April 8, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that

         the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 31, 1997, by a

         viva-voce vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 521 passed the House, with

         amendment, on May 28, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

         Approved:

         _______________________________

                     Date

         _______________________________

                   Governor