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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the education of children attending charter schools |
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that the commissioner of education proposes to close. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 12, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 12.1165 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 12.1165. TRANSITION SERVICES FOR STUDENTS ON |
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REVOCATION, DENIAL, OR SURRENDER OF CHARTER. (a) If the |
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commissioner revokes or denies the renewal of a charter of an |
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open-enrollment charter school, or if an open-enrollment charter |
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school surrenders its charter, the commissioner must ensure that |
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the students enrolled at the school remain in an educational |
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setting by: |
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(1) arranging for the placement of each student in |
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another public school; |
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(2) ensuring that each student with special needs, |
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including a student receiving special education services under |
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Subchapter A, Chapter 29, or a student who is pregnant or a parent, |
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continues to receive the appropriate services; and |
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(3) arranging for transportation services to the new |
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school for each student. |
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(b) The commissioner shall provide written notice to the |
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students and the parents and guardians of the students in the school |
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of: |
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(1) the revocation, denial of renewal, or surrender of |
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the school's charter; and |
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(2) the commissioner's duty to assist the students in |
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meeting their educational needs. |
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(c) If the local juvenile probation department or the Texas |
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Youth Commission has a role in supervising a student enrolled at the |
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school, the commissioner shall notify the applicable entity of the |
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placement of the student in another school under this section. |
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(d) The commissioner shall adopt rules to implement this |
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section. The rules must require the commissioner to maintain a |
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record of where students enrolled at the school are placed after the |
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school is ordered closed. |
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SECTION 2. The commissioner of education shall adopt rules |
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as required by Section 12.1165, Education Code, as added by this |
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Act, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 3. 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. |