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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the use of weighted lotteries for student admission to |
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public schools or for student transfers within a school district. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 12.117, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: |
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(a-1) An open-enrollment charter school that fills |
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available positions by lottery under Subsection (a)(2)(A) may use a |
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weighted lottery that assigns weights to applicants so that an |
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applicant's probability of admission increases if the applicant is: |
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(1) eligible to participate in the school's special |
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education program under Section 29.003; |
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(2) a student of limited English proficiency, as |
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defined by Section 29.052; or |
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(3) educationally disadvantaged. |
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SECTION 2. Section 25.001, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (k) to read as follows: |
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(k) If a school district elects to admit students not |
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described by Subsection (b) into the district's schools by lottery, |
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the district may use a weighted lottery that assigns weights to |
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applicants so that an applicant's probability of admission |
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increases if the applicant is: |
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(1) eligible to participate in the school's special |
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education program under Section 29.003; |
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(2) a student of limited English proficiency, as |
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defined by Section 29.052; or |
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(3) educationally disadvantaged. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 25, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 25.0311 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 25.0311. TRANSFER WITHIN DISTRICT BY LOTTERY. If the |
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board of trustees of a school district elects to allow a student |
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enrolled in the district to transfer from the student's assigned |
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campus to another campus in the district by lottery, the board may |
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use a weighted lottery that assigns weights to applicants so that an |
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applicant's probability of receiving the transfer increases if the |
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applicant is: |
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(1) eligible to participate in the school's special |
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education program under Section 29.003; |
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(2) a student of limited English proficiency, as |
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defined by Section 29.052; or |
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(3) educationally disadvantaged. |
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SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 5. 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, 2021. |