By:  West                                             S.B. No. 1356

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to reporting of information by public schools relating to

 1-2     expulsions and placements in alternative education programs.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 37, Education Code, is

 1-5     amended by adding Section 37.020 to read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 37.020.  REPORTS RELATING TO EXPULSIONS AND ALTERNATIVE

 1-7     EDUCATION PROGRAM PLACEMENTS.  In the manner required by the

 1-8     commissioner, each school district shall annually report to the

 1-9     commissioner:

1-10                 (1)  for each placement in an alternative education

1-11     program under Section 37.008:

1-12                       (A)  information identifying the student,

1-13     including the student's race, sex, and date of birth, that will

1-14     enable the agency to compare placement data with information

1-15     collected through other reports;

1-16                       (B)  information indicating whether the placement

1-17     was based on:

1-18                             (i)  conduct violating the student code of

1-19     conduct adopted under Section 37.001;

1-20                             (ii)  conduct for which a student may be

1-21     removed from class under Section 37.002(b);

1-22                             (iii)  conduct for which placement in an

1-23     alternative education program is required by Section 37.006; or

 2-1                             (iv)  conduct occurring while a student was

 2-2     enrolled in another district and for which placement in an

 2-3     alternative education program is permitted by Section 37.008(j);

 2-4     and

 2-5                       (C)  the number of days the student was assigned

 2-6     to the program and the number of days the student attended the

 2-7     program; and

 2-8                 (2)  for each expulsion under Section 37.007:

 2-9                       (A)  information identifying the student,

2-10     including the student's race, sex, and date of birth, that will

2-11     enable the agency to compare placement data with information

2-12     collected through other reports;

2-13                       (B)  information indicating whether the expulsion

2-14     was based on:

2-15                             (i)  conduct for which expulsion is

2-16     authorized under Section 37.007;

2-17                             (ii)  conduct, other than conduct described

2-18     by Subparagraph (iii), for which expulsion is permitted under

2-19     Section 37.007; or

2-20                             (iii)  serious or persistent misbehavior

2-21     occurring while the student was placed in an alternative education

2-22     program;

2-23                       (C)  the number of days the student was expelled;

2-24     and

2-25                       (D)  information indicating whether:

 3-1                             (i)  the student was placed in a juvenile

 3-2     justice alternative education program under Section 37.011;

 3-3                             (ii)  the student was placed in an

 3-4     alternative education program; or

 3-5                             (iii)  the student was not placed in a

 3-6     juvenile justice or other alternative education program.

 3-7           SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 1997-1998

 3-8     school year.

 3-9           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

3-10     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

3-11     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

3-12     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

3-13     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

3-14     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

3-15     passage, and it is so enacted.