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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the absence of a student from school to visit with a |
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parent or guardian who will be or has been deployed on military |
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duty. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 25.087, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (b-4) and amending Subsection (d) to read as |
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follows: |
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(b-4) A school district shall excuse for a maximum of 10 |
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days a student whose parent or legal guardian is an active duty |
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member of the uniformed services as defined by Section 162.002 and |
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has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or immediately |
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returned from continuous deployment of at least six months outside |
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the locality where the parent or guardian regularly resides, to |
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visit with the student's parent or guardian. An excused absence |
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under this subsection must be taken: |
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(1) not earlier than the 60th day before the date of |
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deployment; or |
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(2) not later than the 30th day after the date of |
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return from deployment. |
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(d) A student whose absence is excused under Subsection (b), |
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(b-2), (b-4), or (c) may not be penalized for that absence and shall |
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be counted as if the student attended school for purposes of |
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calculating the average daily attendance of students in the school |
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district. A student whose absence is excused under Subsection (b), |
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(b-2), (b-4), or (c) shall be allowed a reasonable time to make up |
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school work missed on those days. If the student satisfactorily |
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completes the school work, the day of absence shall be counted as a |
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day of compulsory attendance. |
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SECTION 2. 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, 2013. |