By: Harris S.B. No. 293
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to the statutory terminology used to describe certain
1-2 disadvantaged public school students.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Subdivision (4), Section 5.001, Education Code,
1-5 is amended to read as follows:
1-6 (4) "Economically [Educationally] disadvantaged" means
1-7 eligible to participate in the national free or reduced-price lunch
1-8 program established under 42 U.S.C. Section 1751 et seq.
1-9 SECTION 2. Subsection (c), Section 11.158, Education Code,
1-10 is amended to read as follows:
1-11 (c) Students may be required to furnish personal or
1-12 consumable items, including pencils, paper, pens, erasers,
1-13 notebooks, and school uniforms, except that students who are
1-14 economically [educationally] disadvantaged may be required to
1-15 furnish school uniforms only as provided by Section 11.162.
1-16 SECTION 3. Subsection (b), Section 11.162, Education Code,
1-17 is amended to read as follows:
1-18 (b) The rules the board of trustees adopts must designate a
1-19 source of funding that shall be used in providing uniforms for
1-20 students at the school who are economically [educationally]
1-21 disadvantaged.
1-22 SECTION 4. Subsection (b), Section 29.153, Education Code,
1-23 is amended to read as follows:
1-24 (b) A child is eligible for enrollment in a prekindergarten
2-1 class if the child is at least three years of age and is:
2-2 (1) unable to speak and comprehend the English
2-3 language;
2-4 (2) economically [educationally] disadvantaged; or
2-5 (3) homeless, as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section 11302,
2-6 regardless of the residence of the child, of either parent of the
2-7 child, or of the child's guardian or other person having lawful
2-8 control of the child.
2-9 SECTION 5. Subsection (b), Section 33.053, Education Code,
2-10 is amended to read as follows:
2-11 (b) The board of trustees of a school district or the chief
2-12 administrative officer of a private school may establish a
2-13 reasonable fee to cover the costs of fingerprinting not provided by
2-14 volunteer assistance. The fee may not exceed $3 for each child
2-15 fingerprinted. If the school charges a fee, the school may waive
2-16 all or a portion of the costs of fingerprinting for economically
2-17 [educationally] disadvantaged children.
2-18 SECTION 6. Subsection (d), Section 33.054, Education Code,
2-19 is amended to read as follows:
2-20 (d) A participating school may charge a fee for making and
2-21 keeping records of photographs under this section. If the school
2-22 charges a fee, the school may waive this fee for economically
2-23 [educationally] disadvantaged children.
2-24 SECTION 7. Subsection (h), Section 33.903, Education Code,
2-25 is amended to read as follows:
2-26 (h) A school district may supplement any funds received
3-1 under this section with funds received through other government
3-2 assistance programs, program tuition, or private donations. Any
3-3 tuition charge may reflect only the actual cost of care provided to
3-4 the student, and the agency or other appropriate governmental
3-5 agency approved by the commissioner may audit a program to ensure
3-6 compliance with this subsection. A school district shall use state
3-7 funds awarded under this section to benefit economically
3-8 [educationally] disadvantaged children before using those funds for
3-9 the care of other children.
3-10 SECTION 8. Subsections (a), (b), and (p), Section 42.152,
3-11 Education Code, are amended to read as follows:
3-12 (a) For each student who is economically [educationally]
3-13 disadvantaged or who is a student who does not have a disability
3-14 and resides in a residential placement facility in a district in
3-15 which the student's parent or legal guardian does not reside, a
3-16 district is entitled to an annual allotment equal to the adjusted
3-17 basic allotment multiplied by 0.2, and by 2.41 for each full-time
3-18 equivalent student who is in a remedial and support program under
3-19 Section 29.081 because the student is pregnant.
3-20 (b) For purposes of this section, the number of economically
3-21 [educationally] disadvantaged students is determined by averaging
3-22 the best six months' enrollment in the national school lunch
3-23 program of free or reduced-price lunches for the preceding school
3-24 year.
3-25 (p) The commissioner shall:
3-26 (1) withhold, from the total amount of funds
4-1 appropriated for allotments under this section, an amount
4-2 sufficient to finance extended year programs under Section 29.082
4-3 not to exceed five percent of the amounts allocated under this
4-4 section; and
4-5 (2) give priority to applications for extended year
4-6 programs to districts with high concentrations of economically
4-7 [educationally] disadvantaged students.
4-8 SECTION 9. The importance of this legislation and the
4-9 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-10 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-11 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-12 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
4-13 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
4-14 passage, and it is so enacted.