1-1     By:  West                                             S.B. No. 1356

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 13, 1997; March 18, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 4, 1997,

 1-4     reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the

 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0; April 4, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1356                    By:  West

 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-8                                   AN ACT

 1-9     relating to reporting of information by public schools relating to

1-10     expulsions and placements in alternative education programs.

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

1-12           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 37, Education Code, is

1-13     amended by adding Section 37.020 to read as follows:

1-14           Sec. 37.020.  REPORTS RELATING TO EXPULSIONS AND ALTERNATIVE

1-15     EDUCATION PROGRAM PLACEMENTS.  In the manner required by the

1-16     commissioner, each school district shall annually report to the

1-17     commissioner:

1-18                 (1)  for each placement in an alternative education

1-19     program under Section 37.008:

1-20                       (A)  information identifying the student,

1-21     including the student's race, sex, and date of birth, that will

1-22     enable the agency to compare placement data with information

1-23     collected through other reports;

1-24                       (B)  information indicating whether the placement

1-25     was based on:

1-26                             (i)  conduct violating the student code of

1-27     conduct adopted under Section 37.001;

1-28                             (ii)  conduct for which a student may be

1-29     removed from class under Section 37.002(b);

1-30                             (iii)  conduct for which placement in an

1-31     alternative education program is required by Section 37.006; or

1-32                             (iv)  conduct occurring while a student was

1-33     enrolled in another district and for which placement in an

1-34     alternative education program is permitted by Section 37.008(j);

1-35     and

1-36                       (C)  the number of days the student was assigned

1-37     to the program and the number of days the student attended the

1-38     program; and

1-39                 (2)  for each expulsion under Section 37.007:

1-40                       (A)  information identifying the student,

1-41     including the student's race, sex, and date of birth, that will

1-42     enable the agency to compare placement data with information

1-43     collected through other reports;

1-44                       (B)  information indicating whether the expulsion

1-45     was based on:

1-46                             (i)  conduct for which expulsion is

1-47     authorized under Section 37.007;

1-48                             (ii)  conduct, other than conduct described

1-49     by Subparagraph (iii), for which expulsion is permitted under

1-50     Section 37.007; or

1-51                             (iii)  serious or persistent misbehavior

1-52     occurring while the student was placed in an alternative education

1-53     program;

1-54                       (C)  the number of days the student was expelled;

1-55     and

1-56                       (D)  information indicating whether:

1-57                             (i)  the student was placed in a juvenile

1-58     justice alternative education program under Section 37.011;

1-59                             (ii)  the student was placed in an

1-60     alternative education program; or

1-61                             (iii)  the student was not placed in a

1-62     juvenile justice or other alternative education program.

1-63           SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 1997-1998

1-64     school year.

 2-1           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-2     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-3     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-4     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-5     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 2-6     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 2-7     passage, and it is so enacted.

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