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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the exemption of the absence from school of a student |
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with a chronic or debilitating illness or condition from the |
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calculation of student attendance for purposes of school |
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accountability. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 39, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 39.0532 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 39.0532. CALCULATION OF STUDENT ATTENDANCE IN |
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EVALUATING SCHOOL PERFORMANCE. (a) The commissioner by rule shall |
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develop and adopt a process for a school district to apply to the |
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agency for an exemption from having an absence of a student with a |
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chronic or debilitating illness or condition that is attributable |
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to the student's illness or condition be included in the |
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calculation of student attendance for purposes of the achievement |
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indicator under Section 39.053(c)(4)(B)(i). |
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(b) To apply for the exemption a school district must obtain |
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documentation from a physician indicating that: |
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(1) the student is a patient of the physician; |
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(2) the student has a chronic or debilitating illness |
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or condition; and |
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(3) the absence for which the exemption is sought is |
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attributable to the student's illness or condition. |
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SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2017-2018 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 3. 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. |