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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to eliminating or modifying certain mandates on school |
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districts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subsection (d), Section 11.1513, Education Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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(d) The employment policy must provide that not later than |
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the 10th school day before the date on which a district fills a |
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vacant position for which a certificate or license is required as |
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provided by Section 21.003, other than a position that affects the |
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safety and security of students as determined by the board of |
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trustees, the district must provide to each current district |
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employee: |
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(1) notice of the position by posting the position on: |
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(A) a bulletin board at: |
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(i) a place convenient to the public in the |
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district's central administrative office; and |
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(ii) the central administrative office of |
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each campus in the district during any time the office is open; or |
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[and] |
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(B) the district's Internet website, if the |
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district has a website; and |
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(2) a reasonable opportunity to apply for the |
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position. |
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SECTION 2. Section 25.112, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsections (e), (f), and (g) to |
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read as follows: |
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(d) On application of a school district, the commissioner |
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may except the district from the limit in Subsection (a) if the |
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commissioner finds the limit works an undue hardship on the |
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district. An exception expires at the end of the school year |
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[semester] for which it is granted[, and the commissioner may not
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grant an exception for:
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[(1) more than one semester at a time]. |
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(e) A school district seeking an exception under Subsection |
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(d) shall notify the commissioner and apply for the exception not |
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later than the later of: |
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(1) October 1; or |
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(2) the 30th day after the first school day the |
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district exceeds the limit in Subsection (a). |
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(f) If a school district repeatedly fails to comply with |
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this section, the commissioner may take any appropriate action |
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authorized to be taken by the commissioner under Section 39.131. |
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(g) Not later than January 1, 2011, the agency shall report |
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to the legislature the number of applications for exceptions under |
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Subsection (d) submitted by each school district and for each |
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application indicate whether the application was granted or denied. |
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This subsection expires February 1, 2011. |
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SECTION 3. Section 34.0021, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (c-1) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Pursuant to the safety standards established by the |
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Department of Public Safety under Section 34.002, each school |
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district may [shall] conduct a training session for students and |
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teachers concerning procedures for evacuating a school bus during |
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an emergency. |
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(b) A school district that chooses to conduct a training |
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session under Subsection (a) is encouraged to [shall] conduct the |
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school bus emergency evacuation training session [at least twice
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each school year, with one training session occurring] in the fall |
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of the school year [and one training session occurring in the
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spring]. The school district is also encouraged to structure the |
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training session so that the session applies to school bus |
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passengers, a [A] portion of the [training] session occurs [must
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occur] on a school bus, and the [training] session lasts [must last] |
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for at least one hour. |
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(c-1) Immediately before each field trip involving |
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transportation by school bus, a school district is encouraged to |
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review school bus emergency evacuation procedures with the school |
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bus passengers, including a demonstration of the school bus |
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emergency exits and the safe manner to exit. |
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SECTION 4. Section 44.902, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 44.902. LONG-RANGE ENERGY PLAN [GOAL] TO REDUCE |
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CONSUMPTION OF ELECTRIC ENERGY. (a) The board of trustees of a |
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school district shall establish a long-range energy plan [goal] to |
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reduce the [school] district's annual electric consumption by five |
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percent beginning with the 2008 [each] state fiscal year and |
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consume electricity in subsequent fiscal years in accordance with |
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the district's energy plan [for six years beginning September 1,
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2007]. |
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(b) The plan required under Subsection (a) must include: |
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(1) strategies for achieving energy efficiency that: |
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(A) result in net savings for the district; or |
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(B) can be achieved without financial cost to the |
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district; and |
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(2) for each strategy identified under Subdivision |
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(1), the initial, short-term capital costs and lifetime costs and |
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savings that may result from implementation of the strategy. |
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(c) In determining under Subsection (b) whether a strategy |
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may result in financial cost to the district, the board of trustees |
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shall consider the total net costs and savings that may occur over |
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the seven-year period following implementation of the strategy. |
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(d) The board of trustees may submit the plan required under |
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Subsection (a) to the State Energy Conservation Office for the |
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purposes of determining whether funds available through loan |
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programs administered by the office are available to the district. |
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SECTION 5. Subsection (b), Section 44.901, Education Code, |
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is repealed. |
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SECTION 6. This Act applies beginning with the 2009-2010 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 7. 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. |