By: White, Wu (Senate Sponsor - Watson) H.B. No. 692

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 11, 2019; April 15, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on Administration; May 9, 2019, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 9, 2019, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 692 By: Huffman

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the suspension of a student who is homeless from public school.

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

SECTION 1. Section 37.005, Education Code, is amended by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:

(d) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may not place a student who is homeless in out-of-school suspension unless the student engages in conduct described by Subsections (c)(1)-(3) while on school property or while attending a school-sponsored or school-related activity on or off of school property. The campus behavior coordinator may coordinate with the school district's homeless education liaison to identify appropriate alternatives to out-of-school suspension for a student who is homeless. In this subsection, "student who is homeless" has the meaning assigned to the term "homeless children and youths" under 42 U.S.C. Section 11434a.

SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020 school year.

SECTION 3. 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, 2019.

* * * * *