By Tillery H.B. No. 422
77R2350 CAS-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the rights and responsibilities of parents of public
1-3 school students.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 26.001, Education Code, is amended to
1-6 read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 26.001. PURPOSE; NOTICE. (a) Parents are partners with
1-8 educators, administrators, and school district boards of trustees
1-9 in their children's education. Parents shall be encouraged to
1-10 actively participate in creating and implementing educational
1-11 programs for their children.
1-12 (b) In implementing Subsection (a), a school district shall
1-13 provide to the parent or guardian of each district student at the
1-14 beginning of each school year or on enrollment of the student after
1-15 the beginning of a school year a handbook that includes the
1-16 parental rights and responsibilities specified by this chapter. The
1-17 handbook:
1-18 (1) must be written on a fifth grade reading level;
1-19 and
1-20 (2) may be drafted by the district- or campus-level
1-21 planning and decision-making committee established under Subchapter
1-22 F, Chapter 11.
1-23 (c) The rights listed in this chapter are not exclusive.
1-24 This chapter does not limit a parent's rights under other law.
2-1 (d) [(c)] Unless otherwise provided by law, a board of
2-2 trustees, administrator, educator, or other person may not limit
2-3 parental rights.
2-4 (e) [(d)] Each board of trustees shall provide for
2-5 procedures to consider complaints that a parent's right has been
2-6 denied.
2-7 (f) [(e)] Each board of trustees shall cooperate in the
2-8 establishment of ongoing operations of at least one parent-teacher
2-9 organization at each school in the district to promote parental
2-10 involvement in school activities.
2-11 SECTION 2. Section 26.001, Education Code, as amended by
2-12 this Act, applies beginning with the 2001-2002 school year, except
2-13 that for the 2001-2002 school year a school district shall
2-14 distribute, not later than November 1, 2001, the handbooks that
2-15 would otherwise be required to be distributed at the beginning of
2-16 the school year under Section 26.001(b), Education Code, as amended
2-17 by this Act.
2-18 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
2-19 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
2-20 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
2-21 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
2-22 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.