By Flores                                              H.B. No. 277
         76R2107 CAS-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to a duty-free lunch for public school employees.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 21.405, Education Code, is transferred to
 1-5     Subchapter A, Chapter 22, Education Code, is redesignated as
 1-6     Section 22.006, Education Code, and is amended to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 22.006 [21.405]. DUTY-FREE LUNCH.  (a)  Except as
 1-8     provided by Subsection (c), each school district employee who works
 1-9     in  a school in the district [classroom teacher or full-time
1-10     librarian] is entitled to at least a 30-minute lunch period free
1-11     from all school duties [and responsibilities connected with the
1-12     instruction and supervision of students].  Each school district may
1-13     set flexible or  rotating schedules for each employee [classroom
1-14     teacher or full-time librarian] in [the] district schools for the
1-15     implementation of the duty-free lunch period.
1-16           (b)  The implementation of this section may not result in a
1-17     lengthened school day.
1-18           (c)  If necessary because of a personnel shortage, extreme
1-19     economic conditions, or an unavoidable or unforeseen circumstance,
1-20     a school district may require an employee [a classroom teacher or
1-21     librarian] entitled to a duty-free lunch to perform school duties
1-22     [supervise students] during lunch.  An employee [A classroom
1-23     teacher or librarian] may not be required to perform school duties
1-24     [supervise students] under this subsection more than one day in any
 2-1     school week.  The  commissioner by rule shall prescribe guidelines
 2-2     for determining what constitutes a personnel shortage, extreme
 2-3     economic conditions, or an unavoidable or unforeseen circumstance
 2-4     for purposes of this subsection.
 2-5           SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 1999-2000
 2-6     school year.
 2-7           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-8     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-9     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-10     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-11     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-12     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-13     passage, and it is so enacted.