By: Lucio  S.B. No. 568
         (In the Senate - Filed January 28, 2009; February 23, 2009,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Education;
  April 23, 2009, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
  Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; April 23, 2009,
  sent to printer.)
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 568 By:  Patrick
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to a notification requirement if a counselor is not
  assigned to a public school campus.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 33, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 33.009 to read as follows:
         Sec. 33.009.  PARENTAL NOTIFICATION CONCERNING SCHOOL
  COUNSELORS. (a)  A public school, including an open-enrollment
  charter school, that does not have a full-time school counselor
  certified under Subchapter B, Chapter 21, assigned to the campus
  for more than 30 consecutive instructional days during the same
  school year shall provide written notice of the absence of a
  counselor to the parent of or other person standing in parental
  relation to each student enrolled in the school.
         (b)  The principal of the school shall provide the notice
  required by Subsection (a) not later than the 30th instructional
  day after the first day the school does not have a full-time school
  counselor assigned to the campus.
         (c)  The school shall:
               (1)  make a good faith effort to ensure that the notice
  required by this section is provided in a bilingual form to any
  parent or other person standing in parental relation whose primary
  language is not English; and
               (2)  retain a copy of any notice provided under this
  section.
         (d)  The commissioner may adopt necessary rules regarding
  notice to a parent or other person standing in parental relation of
  the absence of a school counselor at the campus.
         SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 2009-2010
  school year.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
 
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