By Madden                                             H.B. No. 2726
         77R7589 JAT-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to a study of the effect of air pollution on school
 1-3     absenteeism.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. (a)  In this section, "commission" means the Texas
 1-6     Natural Resource Conservation Commission.
 1-7           (b)  The commission, in collaboration with the Texas
 1-8     Education Agency and the Texas Department of Health, shall conduct
 1-9     a study of the effect of air pollution on school absenteeism.
1-10           (c)  The commission shall conduct the study in two major
1-11     metropolitan areas of Texas.
1-12           (d)  The commission, in conducting the study, shall correlate
1-13     air pollution monitoring data collected by the commission with
1-14     absenteeism statistics from schools near outdoor monitoring
1-15     stations collected by the Texas Education Agency.
1-16           (e)  The study period shall be long enough to scientifically
1-17     determine a presence or absence of a correlation between air
1-18     pollution and school absenteeism.
1-19           (f)  The Texas Department of Health shall serve as a
1-20     methodological consultant for the study and shall assist with
1-21     analyzing and drawing conclusions from the data and determining the
1-22     results of the study.
1-23           (g)  Not later than May 1, 2002, the commission shall submit
1-24     to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the
 2-1     house of representatives a written report containing the findings
 2-2     of the study.
 2-3           SECTION 2. This Act expires June 1, 2002.
 2-4           SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a
 2-5     vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 2-6     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
 2-7     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 2-8     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.