By: Menéndez, et al. S.B. No. 1553

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the refusal of entry to or ejection from school district property.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 37, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 37.1051 to read as follows:

Sec. 37.1051. BLUE RIBBON PANEL ON TREATMENT OF UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS. (a) The Blue Ribbon Panel on Treatment of Unauthorized Persons is established to identify best practices regarding a school district's refusal of a person's entry to or ejection of a person from district property and the identification of persons on that property as provided by Section 37.105.

(b) The panel consists of members appointed by the commissioner, who must include:

(1) a school administrator;

(2) a member of the board of trustees of a school district;

(3) a classroom teacher;

(4) a representative of a parent-teacher organization; and

(5) a public safety representative.

(c) All meetings of the panel must be open to the public.

(d) The panel shall hold at least one public hearing regarding the treatment of unauthorized persons on school district property.

(e) Not later than August 1, 2018, the panel shall submit to the standing legislative committees with primary jurisdiction over education, and the Texas Education Agency, a report on the panel's findings and any recommendations for legislative or other action.

(f) The agency shall make the recommendations of the report available to all school districts and open-enrollment charter schools.

(g) This section expires September 1, 2019.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2017.