1-1     By:  West                                              S.B. No. 704
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 14, 2001; February 15, 2001,
 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Education;
 1-4     April 9, 2001, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
 1-5     Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; April 9, 2001,
 1-6     sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 704                   By:  Bivins
 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-9                                   AN ACT
1-10     relating to standardized school district dress codes.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 11, Education Code, is
1-13     amended by adding Section 11.1621 to read as follows:
1-14           Sec. 11.1621.  STANDARDIZED SCHOOL DISTRICT DRESS CODES.
1-15     (a)  The board of trustees of an independent school district may
1-16     adopt a standardized student dress code to:
1-17                 (1)  improve the learning environment in the district;
1-18     or
1-19                 (2)  maintain order in the district.
1-20           (b)  This subsection applies only to a student who is
1-21     educationally disadvantaged and whose parent demonstrates to the
1-22     satisfaction of the district that the parent is financially unable
1-23     to purchase clothing that complies with the standardized district
1-24     dress code.  A district may discipline a student for violating the
1-25     standardized dress code only if the district ensures that the
1-26     student or the student's parent can obtain, without cost to the
1-27     student or the student's parent, clothing that complies with the
1-28     standardized dress code.  For that purpose, the district may:
1-29                 (1)  provide clothing at district expense; or
1-30                 (2)  arrange for a local public or private organization
1-31     to provide or pay for clothing.
1-32           (c)  A decision by a board of trustees under this section
1-33     concerning the reasonableness of restrictions on student dress or a
1-34     parent's financial inability to purchase clothing that complies
1-35     with the standardized district dress code is final and may not be
1-36     appealed under Section 7.057.
1-37           (d)  In this section:
1-38                 (1)  "Parent" includes a person standing in parental
1-39     relation.
1-40                 (2)  "Standardized dress code" means a dress code that
1-41     restricts a student's choice of dress to specific articles of
1-42     clothing but permits the student to choose from among several
1-43     styles and colors so that the dress code does not result in the
1-44     uniform appearance of all students.
1-45           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-46     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-47     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-48     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-49     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-50                                  * * * * *