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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the placement and use of video cameras in certain |
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self-contained classrooms or other settings providing special |
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education services. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 29.022, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (a-1) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) In order to promote student safety, on receipt of a |
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request by a parent, trustee, governing body member, or staff |
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member that complies with Subsection (a-1), a school district or |
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open-enrollment charter school shall provide equipment, including |
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a video camera, to the [each] school or schools in the district or |
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the [each] charter school campus or campuses specified in the |
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request and in which a student who receives special education |
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services in a self-contained classroom or other special education |
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setting is enrolled. Each school or campus that receives equipment |
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shall place, operate, and maintain one or more video cameras in each |
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self-contained classroom or other special education setting to |
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which the parent's child or the staff member is assigned, if the |
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request was made by a parent or a staff member, and in which a |
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majority of the students in regular attendance are: |
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(1) provided special education and related services; |
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and |
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(2) assigned to a self-contained classroom or other |
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special education setting for at least 50 percent of the |
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instructional day. |
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(a-1) For purposes of Subsection (a): |
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(1) a parent may request equipment only for classrooms |
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or special education settings described by Subsection (a) to which |
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the parent's child is assigned; |
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(2) a trustee or governing body member may request |
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equipment only with approval by the board of trustees or governing |
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body; and |
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(3) a staff member may request equipment only for |
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classrooms or special education settings described by Subsection |
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(a) to which the staff member is assigned and only with approval by |
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the board of trustees or governing body. |
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(b) A school or campus that places a video camera in a |
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classroom or other special education setting in accordance with |
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Subsection (a) shall operate and maintain the camera in the |
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classroom or setting, as long as the classroom or setting continues |
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to satisfy the requirements under Subsection (a), for the remainder |
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of the school year in which the school or campus received the |
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request. At the end of each school year, the school or campus must |
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notify the requestor that operation of the video camera will not |
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continue during the following school year unless the school or |
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campus receives a new request authorized under this section for |
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that school year. |
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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, 2017. |