By Hardcastle                                         H.B. No. 2078
         76R5923 CAS-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to school district policies on student absences to
 1-3     participate in extracurricular activities.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 33, Education Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Section 33.0811 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 33.0811.  SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICY ON ABSENCES TO
 1-8     PARTICIPATE IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.  (a)  Notwithstanding
 1-9     Section 33.081(a), the  board of trustees of a school district may
1-10     adopt a policy establishing the number of times a student who is
1-11     otherwise eligible to participate in an extracurricular activity
1-12     under Section 33.081 may be absent from class to participate in an
1-13     extracurricular activity sponsored or sanctioned by the district or
1-14     the University Interscholastic League or by an organization
1-15     sanctioned by resolution of the board of trustees of the district.
1-16           (b)  A policy adopted by the board of trustees of a district
1-17     under this section:
1-18                 (1)  prevails over a conflicting policy adopted under
1-19     Section 33.081; and
1-20                 (2)  must permit a student to be absent from class at
1-21     least 10 times during the school year.
1-22           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-23     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-24     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-1     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-2     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
 2-3     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
 2-4     passage, and it is so enacted.