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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the administration of certain tests to home-schooled |
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students by school districts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 29.916 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 29.916. HOME-SCHOOLED STUDENT MERIT SCHOLARSHIP AND |
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ADVANCED PLACEMENT TESTING. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Home-schooled student" means a student who |
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predominantly receives instruction in a general elementary or |
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secondary education program that is provided by the parent, or a |
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person standing in parental authority, in or through the child's |
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home. |
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(2) "PSAT/NMSQT" means the Preliminary SAT/National |
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Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test sponsored by the College Board |
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and Educational Testing Service and the National Merit Scholarship |
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Corporation. |
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(b) A school district shall permit a home-schooled student |
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entitled under Section 25.001 to attend public school in the |
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district to participate in an administration of the PSAT/NMSQT or a |
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college advanced placement test offered by the district. A school |
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district is not required to pay the cost for a home-schooled student |
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to participate in a test under this subsection. |
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(c) A school district shall post on an Internet website |
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maintained by the district the date the PSAT/NMSQT will be |
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administered and the date any college advanced placement tests will |
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be administered. The notice required under this subsection must |
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state that the PSAT/NMSQT or the advanced placement test is |
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available for home-schooled students eligible to attend school in |
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the district and describe the procedures for a home-schooled |
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student to register for the test. A school district that does not |
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maintain an Internet website must publish the information required |
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by this subsection in a newspaper in the district. If a newspaper is |
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not published in the school district, the district shall provide |
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for the publication of notice in at least one newspaper in the |
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county in which the district's central administrative office is |
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located. The information required under this subsection must be |
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posted or published at the same time and with the same frequency |
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with which the information is provided to a student who attends a |
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district school. |
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(d) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to |
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implement this section. |
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SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2007-2008 |
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school year. |
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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. |