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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to excused absences from public school for the purpose of |
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pursuing enlistment in a branch of the armed services of the United |
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States or the Texas National Guard. |
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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 Subsections (b-5) and (b-6) and amending Subsection (d) to |
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read as follows: |
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(b-5) A school district shall excuse a student who is 17 |
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years of age or older from attending school to pursue enlistment in |
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a branch of the armed services of the United States or the Texas |
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National Guard, provided that: |
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(1) the district may not excuse for this purpose more |
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than four days of school during the period the student is enrolled |
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in high school; and |
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(2) the district verifies the student's activities |
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related to pursuing enlistment in a branch of the armed services or |
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the Texas National Guard. |
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(b-6) Each school district shall adopt procedures to verify |
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a student's activities as described by Subsection (b-5). |
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(d) A student whose absence is excused under Subsection (b), |
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(b-1), (b-2), (b-4), (b-5), or (c) may not be penalized for that |
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absence and shall be counted as if the student attended school for |
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purposes of calculating the average daily attendance of students in |
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the school district. A student whose absence is excused under |
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Subsection (b), (b-1), (b-2), (b-4), (b-5), or (c) shall be allowed |
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a reasonable time to make up school work missed on those days. If |
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the student satisfactorily completes the school work, the day of |
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absence shall be counted as a day of compulsory attendance. |
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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. Not later than October 1, 2017, each school |
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district shall adopt a policy for verification of student |
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activities relating to pursuing military enlistment as required by |
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Section 25.087(b-6), Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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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, 2017. |