By: West S.B. No. 704 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to standardized school district dress codes. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 11, Education Code, is 1-5 amended by adding Section 11.1621 to read as follows: 1-6 Sec. 11.1621. STANDARDIZED SCHOOL DISTRICT DRESS CODES. 1-7 (a) The board of trustees of an independent school district may 1-8 adopt a standardized student dress code to: 1-9 (1) improve the learning environment in the district; 1-10 or 1-11 (2) maintain order in the district. 1-12 (b) This subsection applies only to a student who is 1-13 educationally disadvantaged and whose parent demonstrates to the 1-14 satisfaction of the district that the parent is financially unable 1-15 to purchase clothing that complies with the standardized district 1-16 dress code. A district may discipline a student for violating the 1-17 standardized dress code only if the district ensures that the 1-18 student or the student's parent can obtain, without cost to the 1-19 student or the student's parent, clothing that complies with the 1-20 standardized dress code. For that purpose, the district may: 1-21 (1) provide clothing at district expense; or 1-22 (2) arrange for a local public or private organization 1-23 to provide or pay for clothing. 1-24 (c) A decision by a board of trustees under this section 1-25 concerning the reasonableness of restrictions on student dress or a 2-1 parent's financial inability to purchase clothing that complies 2-2 with the standardized district dress code is final and may not be 2-3 appealed under Section 7.057. 2-4 (d) In this section: 2-5 (1) "Parent" includes a person standing in parental 2-6 relation. 2-7 (2) "Standardized dress code" means a dress code that 2-8 restricts a student's choice of dress to specific articles of 2-9 clothing but permits the student to choose from among several 2-10 styles and colors so that the dress code does not result in the 2-11 uniform appearance of all students. 2-12 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 2-13 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 2-14 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 2-15 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 2-16 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.