By Van de Putte                                       H.B. No. 2531
         76R8141 ESH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to training for public school educators in recognizing and
 1-3     reporting incidents of possible abuse or neglect of children.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 21.451, Education Code, is amended by
 1-6     adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
 1-7           (d)  The staff development must include at least one hour in
 1-8     each school year of training for educators in recognizing possible
 1-9     abuse or neglect of a child, in an educator's legal duty under
1-10     Chapter 261, Family Code, or other law to report abuse or neglect
1-11     of a child, and in the child abuse reporting procedures adopted
1-12     under Section 38.004.  The training may be provided by videotape or
1-13     distance learning.  The training for a newly certified educator
1-14     must be provided as early in the school year as practicable.
1-15           SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 1999-2000
1-16     school year.
1-17           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-18     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.