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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of individual graduation committees for |
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certain high school students. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 39.025(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The commissioner shall adopt rules requiring a student |
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in the foundation high school program under Section 28.025 to be |
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administered each end-of-course assessment instrument listed in |
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Section 39.023(c). A student is required to achieve a scale score |
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that indicates satisfactory performance, as determined by the |
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commissioner under Section 39.0241(a), on each end-of-course |
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assessment instrument listed under Section 39.023(c). For each |
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scale score required under this subsection that is not based on a |
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100-point scale scoring system, the commissioner shall provide for |
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conversion, in accordance with commissioner rule, of the scale |
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score to an equivalent score based on a 100-point scale scoring |
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system. A student may not receive a high school diploma until the |
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student has performed satisfactorily on end-of-course assessment |
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instruments in the manner provided under this subsection or has |
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qualified for graduation under Section 39.0251. This subsection |
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does not require a student to demonstrate readiness to enroll in an |
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institution of higher education. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 39.0251 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 39.0251. INDIVIDUAL GRADUATION COMMITTEE. |
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(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), for each student who |
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fails to perform satisfactorily on an end-of-course assessment |
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instrument a second time, the school district or open-enrollment |
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charter school that the student attends shall establish an |
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individual graduation committee to determine whether the student |
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qualifies to graduate under this section. The committee shall be |
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composed of: |
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(1) the principal or principal's designee; |
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(2) the teacher of the course of the assessment |
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instrument on which the student failed to perform satisfactorily; |
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(3) the student's school counselor; and |
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(4) the student's parent or guardian. |
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(b) If a student fails to perform satisfactorily on an |
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end-of-course assessment for either Algebra I or English II a |
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second time but receives a score of "proficient" on the Texas |
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Success Initiative (TSI) diagnostic assessment for that subject, |
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the student shall be considered to have performed satisfactorily on |
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that end-of-course assessment instrument and shall receive credit |
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for the end-of-course assessment for that course. If a student |
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qualifies to graduate after receiving credit for an end-of-course |
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assessment instrument under this subsection, an individual |
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graduation committee shall not be established for the student. |
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(c) The commissioner shall adopt rules to determine who may |
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serve as an alternative committee member in the event that a person |
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described by Subsection (a) is unable to serve. The superintendent |
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of each school district and the chief administrative officer of |
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each open-enrollment charter school shall establish procedures for |
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the convening of individual graduation committees. |
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(d) The school district or open-enrollment charter school |
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shall notify the student's parent or guardian of the time and place |
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for convening the individual graduation committee and the purpose |
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of the committee. The notice must be provided either in person or |
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by regular mail, be clear and easy to understand, and be written in |
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English or in the parent or guardian's native language. |
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(e) The individual graduation committee shall compute the |
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student's Subject Core Composite Course Average for each core |
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subject. The Subject Core Composite Course Average of a subject is |
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computed by averaging the grades of each course the student |
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completed within each core subject. The core subjects are: |
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(1) English, which consists of: |
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(A) English I; |
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(B) English II; |
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(C) English III; and |
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(D) English IV or an approved substitute; |
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(2) mathematics, which consists of: |
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(A) Algebra I; |
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(B) geometry; |
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(C) Algebra II, a course equivalent to Algebra |
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II, or math models; and |
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(D) an approved fourth year math course; |
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(3) science, which consists of either: |
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(A) courses in: |
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(i) biology; |
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(ii) chemistry; and |
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(iii) physics or an approved substitute; or |
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(B) courses in: |
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(i) biology; and |
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(ii) integrated physics and chemistry; and |
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(4) social studies, which consists of: |
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(A) world geography; |
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(B) world history; |
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(C) United States history; and |
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(D) either: |
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(i) government; or |
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(ii) economics. |
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(f) A student is qualified to graduate if the student's |
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Subject Core Composite Course Average for each core subject |
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described by Subsection (e) is 70 percent or greater, the student |
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meets the requirements of Subsection (j), and the student satisfies |
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at least three of the following criteria: |
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(1) the student successfully completes a dual credit |
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course in: |
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(A) English; |
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(B) mathematics; |
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(C) science; or |
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(D) social studies; |
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(2) the student successfully achieves college |
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readiness standards on the: |
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(A) ACT; |
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(B) SAT; |
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(C) PSAT; |
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(D) ACT Aspire; or |
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(E) Texas Success Initiative (TSI) college |
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readiness benchmarks prescribed by the Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board; |
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(3) the student successfully completes a high school |
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advanced placement, pre-advanced placement, or international |
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baccalaureate program course in: |
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(A) English; |
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(B) mathematics; |
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(C) science; or |
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(D) social studies; |
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(4) the student receives a rating of "advanced high" |
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on the most recent high school administration of the Texas English |
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Language Proficiency Assessment System; |
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(5) the student successfully completes three foreign |
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language courses; |
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(6) the student receives a career and technical |
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education certification; |
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(7) the student receives a score of 50 or greater on a |
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College-Level Examination Program examination; or |
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(8) the student successfully completes a transitional |
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college course in reading or mathematics. |
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(g) If the student does not qualify to graduate under |
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Subsections (e) and (f), the individual graduation committee may |
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recommend additional measures by which the student may qualify, |
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including: |
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(1) additional remediation; |
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(2) the completion of a project related to the |
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relevant subject area; or |
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(3) the preparation of a portfolio of the student's |
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work in the relevant subject area, including work samples from the |
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course for which the student did not pass the end-of-course |
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assessment instrument. |
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(h) In determining whether a student described by |
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Subsection (g) is qualified to graduate, the individual graduation |
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committee shall consider: |
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(1) the recommendation of the student's teacher in |
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each relevant course; |
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(2) the student's grade in each relevant course; |
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(3) the student's score on the end-of-course |
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assessment instrument on which the student failed to perform |
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satisfactorily; |
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(4) the student's performance on any additional |
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measures recommended by the committee under Subsection (g); |
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(5) the number of hours of remediation that the |
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student has already attended, including attendance of a college |
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preparatory course required under Section 39.025(b-2), if |
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applicable; |
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(6) the student's school attendance rate; |
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(7) the student's satisfaction of the Texas Success |
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Initiative (TSI) college readiness benchmarks prescribed by the |
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Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; |
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(8) the student's overall preparedness for |
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postsecondary success; and |
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(9) any other necessary academic information as |
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determined by the local school board or open-enrollment charter |
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school, as applicable. |
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(i) After considering the criteria under Subsections (h) |
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and (j), the individual graduation committee may determine that the |
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student is qualified to graduate. A student may graduate on the |
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basis of the committee's decision only if the student has |
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successfully completed all additional measures recommended by the |
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committee under Subsection (g) and the committee's vote is |
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unanimous. The commissioner by rule shall establish a timeline for |
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making a determination under this subsection. This subsection does |
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not create a property interest in graduation. The decision of a |
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committee is final and may not be appealed. |
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(j) In order to be eligible to graduate and receive a high |
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school diploma under this section, the student must have: |
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(1) achieved an overall minimum grade point average of |
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2.0 on a scale of 4.0, or the equivalent; and |
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(2) received a passing grade in all courses required |
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for graduation. |
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(k) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to |
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implement this section. |
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SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2014-2015 |
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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. |