By Lengefeld                                          H.B. No. 1809
         76R4327 CAS-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to campus and campus program charters.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Sections 12.052 and 12.053, Education Code, are
 1-5     amended to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 12.052.  AUTHORIZATION.  [(a)]  In accordance with this
 1-7     subchapter, the board of trustees of a school district or the
 1-8     governing body of a home-rule school district may grant a charter
 1-9     to parents and teachers for a campus or a program on a campus [if
1-10     the board is presented with a petition signed by:]
1-11                 [(1)  the parents of a majority of the students at that
1-12     school campus; and]
1-13                 [(2)  a majority of the classroom teachers at that
1-14     school campus].
1-15           [(b)  For purposes of Subsection (a)(1), the signature of
1-16     only one parent of a student is required.]
1-17           [(c)  The board of trustees may not arbitrarily deny a
1-18     charter under this section.]
1-19           Sec. 12.053.  COOPERATIVE CAMPUS CHARTER.  [(a)]  The board
1-20     of trustees may grant a charter to parents and teachers at two or
1-21     more campuses in the district for a cooperative charter program [if
1-22     the board is presented with a petition signed by:]
1-23                 [(1)  the parents of a majority of the students at each
1-24     school campus; and]
 2-1                 [(2)  a majority of the classroom teachers at each
 2-2     school campus.]
 2-3           [(b)  For purposes of Subsection (a)(1), the signature of
 2-4     only one parent is required].
 2-5           SECTION 2.  Section 12.058, Education Code, is redesignated
 2-6     as Section 12.0531, Education Code, and is amended to read as
 2-7     follows:
 2-8           Sec. 12.0531 [12.058].  CHARTER POLICY.  [(a)] Each school
 2-9     district shall adopt a campus charter and campus program charter
2-10     policy.  The  policy must specify:
2-11                 (1)  the process to be followed for approval of a
2-12     campus charter or campus program charter;
2-13                 (2)  the statutory requirements with which a campus
2-14     charter or campus program charter must comply; and
2-15                 (3)  the items that must be included in a charter
2-16     application.
2-17           [(b)  Each school district shall adopt a campus charter and
2-18     campus program charter policy as required by this section not later
2-19     than January 1, 1998.]
2-20           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-25     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-26     passage, and it is so enacted.