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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the failure of a parent to attend a public school |
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parent-teacher conference; providing a criminal penalty. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 26, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 26.014 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 26.014. FAILURE TO ATTEND PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE. |
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(a) A parent of a student commits an offense if: |
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(1) the parent receives written notice by certified |
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mail of at least three proposed dates from which the parent can |
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choose for scheduling a parent-teacher conference between the |
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parent and the student's teacher; |
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(2) the parent: |
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(A) fails to respond to the notice; or |
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(B) schedules a parent-teacher conference on one |
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of the dates proposed in the notice or on an alternative date agreed |
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to by the parent and teacher and fails to: |
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(i) attend the scheduled conference; or |
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(ii) before the scheduled conference, |
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notify the teacher or an administrator of the campus to which the |
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teacher is assigned that the parent will be unable to attend the |
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conference; and |
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(3) in the case of a student with more than one parent, |
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another parent of the student does not attend a parent-teacher |
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conference scheduled in accordance with this subsection. |
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(b) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. |
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(c) An offense under this section may be prosecuted in a |
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court in which an offense under Section 25.094(b) may be |
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prosecuted. |
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(d) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this |
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section that the parent had a reasonable excuse for failing to |
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attend the parent-teacher conference. |
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(e) The clerk of the court in which an offense under this |
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section is prosecuted shall transfer the proceeds of any fine |
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collected by the court under this section to the school district |
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that employs the teacher with whom the parent was scheduled to meet |
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in the parent-teacher conference. The district may use funds |
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collected under this section only to: |
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(1) provide additional compensation to classroom |
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teachers in the district; or |
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(2) purchase school supplies other than textbooks as |
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defined by Section 31.002. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |