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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a public school policy to allow a student with a |
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disability to be accompanied by a handler for the student's service |
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animal. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 29.0054 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 29.0054. ACCOMMODATION FOR STUDENT WITH SERVICE ANIMAL |
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WHO NEEDS HANDLER. (a) In this section, "service animal" has the |
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meaning assigned by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 |
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U.S.C. Section 12101 et seq.). |
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(b) A school district may adopt a policy allowing a student |
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to be accompanied by a service animal and a handler for the animal |
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at a district campus if: |
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(1) the student's admission, review, and dismissal |
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committee or team established under Section 504, Rehabilitation Act |
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of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section 794), has determined that the student |
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needs to be accompanied by a service animal to access the district's |
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educational program; and |
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(2) the student requires a handler to handle the |
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animal. |
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(c) A school district that adopts a policy under Subsection |
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(b) may require the handler of a service animal to be unobtrusive in |
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the classroom. |
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SECTION 2. 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, 2025. |