By Oliveira H.B. No. 2450
77R4077 CAS-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to public school counselors.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 33.002, Education Code, is amended by
1-5 adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
1-6 (c) This section applies only to a school district that
1-7 receives funds as provided by Section 42.152(i).
1-8 SECTION 2. Section 33.005, Education Code, is amended to read
1-9 as follows:
1-10 Sec. 33.005. DEVELOPMENTAL GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING PROGRAMS.
1-11 A school counselor [person employed as required by Section 33.002]
1-12 shall work with the school faculty and staff, students, parents,
1-13 and the community to plan, implement, and evaluate a developmental
1-14 guidance and counseling program. The counselor shall design the
1-15 program to include:
1-16 (1) a guidance curriculum to help students develop
1-17 their full educational potential;
1-18 (2) a responsive services component to intervene on
1-19 behalf of any student whose immediate personal concerns or problems
1-20 put the student's continued educational, career, personal, or
1-21 social development at risk;
1-22 (3) an individual planning system to guide a student
1-23 as the student plans, monitors, and manages the student's own
1-24 educational, career, personal, and social development; and
2-1 (4) system support to support the efforts of teachers,
2-2 staff, parents, and other members of the community in promoting the
2-3 educational, career, personal, and social development of students.
2-4 SECTION 3. Sections 42.152(i) and (j), Education Code, are
2-5 amended to read as follows:
2-6 (i) From the total amount of funds appropriated for
2-7 allotments under this section, the commissioner shall, each fiscal
2-8 year, withhold $7,500,000 or a greater amount as determined in the
2-9 General Appropriations Act and distribute that amount for purposes
2-10 of Section 33.002 [programs under Subchapter A, Chapter 33].
2-11 Section 33.002 applies [A program established under that subchapter
2-12 is required] only in school districts that receive [in which the
2-13 program is financed by] funds distributed under this section or
2-14 other funds distributed by the commissioner for purposes of [a
2-15 program under] that section [subchapter]. In distributing those
2-16 funds, preference shall be given to a school district that received
2-17 funds [for a program] under this subsection for the preceding
2-18 school year.
2-19 (j) The commissioner shall coordinate the funds withheld
2-20 under Subsection (i) and any other funds available for purposes of
2-21 Section 33.002 [the program] and shall distribute those funds. To
2-22 receive funds for those purposes [the program], a school district
2-23 must apply to the commissioner. The commissioner shall give a
2-24 preference to the districts that apply that have the highest
2-25 concentration of at-risk students. For each school year that a
2-26 school district receives funds under this subsection [section], the
2-27 district shall allocate an amount of local funds for school
3-1 guidance and counseling programs that is equal to or greater than
3-2 the amount of local funds that the school district allocated for
3-3 that purpose during the preceding school year.
3-4 SECTION 4. Section 33.001, Education Code, is repealed.
3-5 SECTION 5. This Act applies beginning with the 2001-2002
3-6 school year.
3-7 SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a
3-8 vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
3-9 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
3-10 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
3-11 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.