| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to including referral of a student to a restorative |
|
|
justice or discipline program as part of a school district's system |
|
|
of graduated sanctions for certain school offenses. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 37.144, Education Code, is amended by |
|
|
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as |
|
|
follows: |
|
|
(a) A school district that commissions peace officers under |
|
|
Section 37.081 may develop a system of graduated sanctions that the |
|
|
school district may require to be imposed on a child before a |
|
|
complaint is filed under Section 37.145 against the child for a |
|
|
school offense that is an offense under Section 37.124 or 37.126 or |
|
|
under Section 42.01(a)(1), (2), (3), (4), or (5), Penal Code. A |
|
|
system adopted under this section must include multiple graduated |
|
|
sanctions. The system may require: |
|
|
(1) a warning letter to be issued to the child and the |
|
|
child's parent or guardian that specifically states the child's |
|
|
alleged school offense and explains the consequences if the child |
|
|
engages in additional misconduct; |
|
|
(2) a behavior contract with the child that must be |
|
|
signed by the child, the child's parent or guardian, and an employee |
|
|
of the school and that includes a specific description of the |
|
|
behavior that is required or prohibited for the child and the |
|
|
penalties for additional alleged school offenses, including |
|
|
additional disciplinary action or the filing of a complaint in a |
|
|
criminal court; |
|
|
(3) the performance of school-based community service |
|
|
by the child; and |
|
|
(4) the referral of the child to counseling, |
|
|
community-based services, restorative justice or discipline |
|
|
programs, or other in-school or out-of-school services aimed at |
|
|
addressing the child's behavioral problems. |
|
|
(c) In this section, "restorative justice or discipline |
|
|
program" includes a program that addresses student behavior by |
|
|
building relationships and encouraging belonging over exclusion, |
|
|
social engagement over control, and meaningful accountability over |
|
|
punishment. |
|
|
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. |