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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to transportation to and from a disciplinary alternative |
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education program or juvenile justice alternative education |
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program and the length of a school day at a disciplinary alternative |
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education program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 37.008, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (o) to read as |
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follows: |
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(c) An off-campus disciplinary alternative education |
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program is not subject to a requirement imposed by this title, other |
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than: |
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(1) a limitation on liability; |
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(2) [,] a reporting requirement; [,] or |
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(3) a requirement imposed by: |
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(A) Section 25.082(a); |
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(B) this chapter; or |
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(C) [by] Chapter 39. |
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(o) A school district shall provide transportation to and |
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from the district's disciplinary alternative education program for |
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a student placed in the program. |
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SECTION 2. Section 37.011, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (k) and adding Subsection (k-1) to read as |
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follows: |
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(k) Each school district in a county with a population |
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greater than 125,000 and the county juvenile board shall annually |
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enter into a joint memorandum of understanding that: |
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(1) outlines the responsibilities of the juvenile |
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board concerning the establishment and operation of a juvenile |
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justice alternative education program under this section; |
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(2) defines the amount and conditions on payments from |
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the school district to the juvenile board for students of the school |
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district served in the juvenile justice alternative education |
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program whose placement was not made on the basis of an expulsion |
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required under Section 37.007(a), (d), or (e); |
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(3) identifies those categories of conduct that the |
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school district has defined in its student code of conduct as |
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constituting serious or persistent misbehavior for which a student |
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may be placed in the juvenile justice alternative education |
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program; |
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(4) identifies and requires a timely placement and |
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specifies a term of placement for expelled students for whom the |
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school district has received a notice under Section 52.041(d), |
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Family Code; |
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(5) establishes services for the transitioning of |
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expelled students to the school district prior to the completion of |
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the student's placement in the juvenile justice alternative |
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education program; |
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(6) requires the school district or juvenile board to |
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provide [establishes a plan that provides] transportation services |
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to and from the juvenile justice alternative education program for |
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a student [students] placed in the [juvenile justice alternative
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education] program; |
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(7) establishes the circumstances and conditions |
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under which a juvenile may be allowed to remain in the juvenile |
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justice alternative education program setting once the juvenile is |
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no longer under juvenile court jurisdiction; and |
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(8) establishes a plan to address special education |
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services required by law. |
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(k-1) If the juvenile board of a county with a population of |
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125,000 or less develops a juvenile justice alternative education |
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program, each school district in the county and the county juvenile |
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board shall annually enter into a joint memorandum of understanding |
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that requires the school district or juvenile board to provide |
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transportation services to and from the juvenile justice |
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alternative education program for a student placed in the program. |
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SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2007-2008 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |