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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the responsibilities of 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 33.006, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read |
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as follows: |
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(a) The primary responsibility of a school counselor is to |
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counsel students to fully develop each student's academic, career, |
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personal, and social abilities. A school district shall provide |
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sufficient training to a school counselor to enable the counselor |
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to meet the counselor's responsibilities under this section. |
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(c) In accordance with rules adopted by the commissioner, |
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the board of trustees of each school district shall adopt a policy |
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that requires a school counselor to spend not more than 20 percent |
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of the school counselor's total work time on duties that are not |
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components of a counseling or guidance program developed under |
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Section 33.005. For purposes of this subsection, time spent in |
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administering assessment instruments or providing other assistance |
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in connection with assessment instruments, except time spent in |
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interpreting data from assessment instruments, is not considered |
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time spent on counseling or guidance. Each school in the district |
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shall implement the policy. A copy of the policy shall be |
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maintained in the office of each school in the district and made |
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available on request during regular school hours to district |
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employees, parents of district students, and the public. |
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(d) A school district may not include a provision in an |
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employment contract with a school counselor under Chapter 21 that |
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conflicts with the policy required by Subsection (c) or has the |
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effect of authorizing a school principal or school district |
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superintendent to require a school counselor to generally perform |
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duties that are not primarily related to a counseling or guidance |
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function. |
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SECTION 2. Section 39.056, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (d-1) to read as follows: |
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(d-1) Before an investigation, the commissioner shall |
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request that the school district scheduled for the investigation |
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assess the district's compliance with the policy adopted under |
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Section 33.006(c) and provide a written copy of the assessment to |
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the investigators on or before the date specified by the |
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commissioner. As part of each investigation, the investigators |
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shall interview a percentage of district school counselors |
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determined by the commissioner to assess the district's compliance |
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with the policy adopted under Section 33.006(c). The commissioner |
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shall adopt rules to implement this subsection. |
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SECTION 3. (a) Each school district shall implement a |
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policy adopted under Section 33.006(c), Education Code, as added by |
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this Act, beginning with the 2015-2016 school year. |
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(b) Section 33.006(d), Education Code, as added by this Act, |
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applies only to a contract executed on or after the effective date |
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of this Act. A contract executed before the effective date of this |
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Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the contract was |
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executed, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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purpose. |
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(c) Section 39.056(d-1), Education Code, as added by this |
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Act, applies beginning with the 2015-2016 school year. |
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SECTION 4. 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, 2015. |