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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to building standards for instructional facilities and |
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campus safety procedures for public schools. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 11, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 11.007 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 11.007. BUILDING STANDARDS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL |
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FACILITIES. (a) In this section, "instructional facility" has the |
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meaning assigned by Section 46.001. |
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(b) A school district that constructs a new instructional |
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facility must comply with the following building and design |
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standards: |
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(1) a lock on each entrance door to the building and |
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classroom door that enables the door to be locked and opened without |
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a key from inside the building or classroom; |
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(2) windows on classroom doors that are narrow and |
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placed on the side of the door away from the door handle; |
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(3) for a classroom or administrative office wall, the |
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use of material that is not glass or transparent; |
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(4) for each window in a classroom or administrative |
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office, a window covering that may be used to block the view; |
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(5) a fully functional public address system that can |
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be clearly heard from each classroom and hallway; and |
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(6) an adequate number of security cameras to provide |
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video coverage of each building entrance and hallway. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 12, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 12.138 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 12.138. BUILDING STANDARDS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL |
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FACILITIES. (a) In this section, "instructional facility" has the |
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meaning assigned by Section 46.001. |
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(b) An open-enrollment charter school that constructs a new |
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instructional facility must comply with the following building and |
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design standards: |
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(1) a lock on each entrance door to the building and |
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classroom door that enables the door to be locked and opened without |
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a key from inside the building or classroom; |
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|
(2) windows on classroom doors that are narrow and |
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placed on the side of the door away from the door handle; |
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(3) for a classroom or administrative office wall, the |
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use of material that is not glass or transparent; |
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(4) for each window in a classroom or administrative |
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office, a window covering that may be used to block the view; |
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(5) a fully functional public address system that can |
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be clearly heard from each classroom and hallway; and |
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(6) an adequate number of security cameras to provide |
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video coverage of each building entrance and hallway. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter D, Chapter 37, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 37.116 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 37.116. CAMPUS SAFETY PROCEDURES. Each school |
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district and open-enrollment charter school shall adopt and |
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implement campus safety procedures that provide for the safety of |
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students and employees, including: |
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(1) ensuring the live video feed from each security |
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camera on a district or school campus is readily available to: |
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(A) the school district police department, if |
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applicable; or |
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(B) the dispatch center of a local law |
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enforcement agency responsible for responding to an emergency at a |
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campus of the district or school; |
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(2) requiring school activities to be conducted in a |
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classroom or in an area with direct access to a secure room, except |
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for athletic activities that may be held outdoors; |
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(3) testing the public address system regularly; and |
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(4) storing and maintaining in the main office of each |
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district or school campus an active shooter medical kit that |
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includes tourniquets, bandages, and other supplies that are |
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typically used to treat an injury involving traumatic blood loss. |
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SECTION 4. Subchapter C, Chapter 45, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 45.0572 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 45.0572. REQUIRED BUILDING STANDARDS. A school |
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district seeking the guarantee of eligible bonds to be used to fund |
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construction of a new instructional facility, as defined by Section |
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46.001, must comply with Section 11.007 in order to be eligible for |
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the guarantee. |
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SECTION 5. Section 46.0081, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 46.0081. SECURITY CRITERIA IN DESIGN OF INSTRUCTIONAL |
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FACILITIES. (a) A school district that constructs a new |
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instructional facility or conducts a major renovation of an |
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existing instructional facility using funds allotted to the |
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district under this subchapter shall consider, in the design of the |
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instructional facility, appropriate security criteria. |
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(b) A school district that constructs a new instructional |
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facility using funds allotted to the district under this subchapter |
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must comply with Section 11.007. |
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SECTION 6. Subchapter B, Chapter 46, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 46.0341 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 46.0341. REQUIRED BUILDING STANDARDS. Section |
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46.0081(b) applies to the payment of and application for assistance |
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under this subchapter. |
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SECTION 7. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, each school district and open-enrollment charter |
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school shall adopt and implement campus safety procedures as |
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required by Section 37.116, Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 8. Sections 11.007 and 12.138, Education Code, as |
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added by this Act, apply only to the construction of a new |
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instructional facility that begins on or after September 1, 2019. |
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SECTION 9. Subchapter C, Chapter 45, Education Code, as |
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amended by this Act, and Chapter 46, Education Code, as amended by |
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this Act, apply only to a school district's application for |
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guarantee of bonds by the permanent school fund under Subchapter C, |
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Chapter 45, Education Code, or a school district's application for |
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state assistance under Chapter 46, Education Code, that is made on |
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or after September 1, 2019. A school district's application for |
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guarantee of bonds by the permanent school fund or for state |
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assistance under Chapter 46, Education Code, that is made before |
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September 1, 2019, is governed by the law in effect on the date the |
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application is made, and the former law is continued in effect for |
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that purpose. |
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SECTION 10. This Act takes effect immediately if it |
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receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each |
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house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. |
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If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate |
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effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |