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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to public school counselors. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 33.002(b), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) A school district [with 500 or more students enrolled in
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elementary school grades] shall employ a counselor [certified under
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the rules of the State Board for Educator Certification] for each |
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[elementary] school in the district. [A school district shall
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employ at least one counselor for every 500 elementary school
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students in the district.] |
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SECTION 2. Section 42.152(i), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(i) From the total amount of funds appropriated for |
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allotments under this section, the commissioner shall, each fiscal |
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year, withhold $7,500,000 or a greater amount as determined in the |
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General Appropriations Act and distribute that amount for programs |
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under Subchapter A, Chapter 33. [A program established under that
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subchapter is required only in school districts in which the
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program is financed by funds distributed under this section or
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other funds distributed by the commissioner for a program under
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that subchapter. In distributing those funds, preference shall be
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given to a school district that received funds for a program under
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this subsection for the preceding school year.] |
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SECTION 3. Sections 33.002(a) and (c), Education Code, are |
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repealed. |
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SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with the 2009-2010 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 5. 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, 2009. |