By Harris S.B. No. 293
76R3994 CAS-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the statutory terminology used to describe certain
1-3 disadvantaged public school students.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 5.001(4), Education Code, is amended to
1-6 read as follows:
1-7 (4) "Economically [Educationally] disadvantaged" means
1-8 eligible to participate in the national free or reduced-price lunch
1-9 program established under 42 U.S.C. Section 1751 et seq.
1-10 SECTION 2. Section 11.158(c), Education Code, is amended to
1-11 read as follows:
1-12 (c) Students may be required to furnish personal or
1-13 consumable items, including pencils, paper, pens, erasers,
1-14 notebooks, and school uniforms, except that students who are
1-15 economically [educationally] disadvantaged may be required to
1-16 furnish school uniforms only as provided by Section 11.162.
1-17 SECTION 3. Section 11.162(b), Education Code, is amended to
1-18 read as follows:
1-19 (b) The rules the board of trustees adopts must designate a
1-20 source of funding that shall be used in providing uniforms for
1-21 students at the school who are economically [educationally]
1-22 disadvantaged.
1-23 SECTION 4. Section 29.153(b), Education Code, is amended to
1-24 read as follows:
2-1 (b) A child is eligible for enrollment in a prekindergarten
2-2 class if the child is at least three years of age and is:
2-3 (1) unable to speak and comprehend the English
2-4 language;
2-5 (2) economically [educationally] disadvantaged; or
2-6 (3) homeless, as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section 11302,
2-7 regardless of the residence of the child, of either parent of the
2-8 child, or of the child's guardian or other person having lawful
2-9 control of the child.
2-10 SECTION 5. Section 33.053(b), Education Code, is amended to
2-11 read as follows:
2-12 (b) The board of trustees of a school district or the chief
2-13 administrative officer of a private school may establish a
2-14 reasonable fee to cover the costs of fingerprinting not provided by
2-15 volunteer assistance. The fee may not exceed $3 for each child
2-16 fingerprinted. If the school charges a fee, the school may waive
2-17 all or a portion of the costs of fingerprinting for economically
2-18 [educationally] disadvantaged children.
2-19 SECTION 6. Section 33.054(d), Education Code, is amended to
2-20 read as follows:
2-21 (d) A participating school may charge a fee for making and
2-22 keeping records of photographs under this section. If the school
2-23 charges a fee, the school may waive this fee for economically
2-24 [educationally] disadvantaged children.
2-25 SECTION 7. Section 33.903(h), Education Code, is amended to
2-26 read as follows:
2-27 (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. Sections 42.152(a), (b), and (p), Education Code,
3-11 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
3-27 appropriated for allotments under this section, an amount
4-1 sufficient to finance extended year programs under Section 29.082
4-2 not to exceed five percent of the amounts allocated under this
4-3 section; and
4-4 (2) give priority to applications for extended year
4-5 programs to districts with high concentrations of economically
4-6 [educationally] disadvantaged students.
4-7 SECTION 9. The importance of this legislation and the
4-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
4-12 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
4-13 passage, and it is so enacted.