Bill Text: TX HB111 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to public school policy and training for public school employees addressing the prevention of sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and other maltreatment of certain children.
Sponsorship: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2019-05-31 - Effective immediately [HB111 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB111-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 111 | ||
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| relating to public school policy and training for public school | ||
| employees addressing the prevention of sexual abuse, sex | ||
| trafficking, and other maltreatment of certain children. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Sections 38.0041(a), (a-1), (b), and (c), | ||
| Education Code, as amended by Chapter 762 (S.B. 2039), Acts of the | ||
| 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, are reenacted and amended | ||
| to read as follows: | ||
| (a) Each school district and open-enrollment charter school | ||
| shall adopt and implement a policy addressing sexual abuse, sex | ||
| trafficking, and other maltreatment of children, to be included in | ||
| the district improvement plan under Section 11.252 and any | ||
| informational handbook provided to students and parents. | ||
| (a-1) A school district may collaborate with local law | ||
| enforcement and outside consultants with expertise in the | ||
| prevention of sexual abuse and sex trafficking to create the policy | ||
| required under Subsection (a), and to create a referral protocol | ||
| for high-risk students. | ||
| (b) A policy required by this section must address: | ||
| (1) methods for increasing staff, student, and parent | ||
| awareness of issues regarding sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and | ||
| other maltreatment of children, including prevention techniques | ||
| and knowledge of likely warning signs indicating that a child may be | ||
| a victim of sexual abuse, sex trafficking, or other maltreatment, | ||
| using resources developed by the agency or the commissioner | ||
| regarding those issues, including resources developed by the agency | ||
| under Section 38.004 [ |
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| (2) actions that a child who is a victim of sexual | ||
| abuse, sex trafficking, or other maltreatment should take to obtain | ||
| assistance and intervention; and | ||
| (3) available counseling options for students | ||
| affected by sexual abuse, sex trafficking, or other maltreatment. | ||
| (c) The methods under Subsection (b)(1) for increasing | ||
| awareness of issues regarding sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and | ||
| other maltreatment of children must include training, as provided | ||
| by this subsection, concerning prevention techniques for and | ||
| recognition of sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and all other | ||
| maltreatment of children, including the sexual abuse, sex | ||
| trafficking, and other maltreatment of children with significant | ||
| cognitive disabilities. The training: | ||
| (1) must be provided, as part of a new employee | ||
| orientation, to all new school district and open-enrollment charter | ||
| school employees and to existing district and open-enrollment | ||
| charter school employees on a schedule adopted by the agency by rule | ||
| until all district and open-enrollment charter school employees | ||
| have taken the training; and | ||
| (2) must include training concerning: | ||
| (A) factors indicating a child is at risk for | ||
| sexual abuse, sex trafficking, or other maltreatment; | ||
| (B) likely warning signs indicating a child may | ||
| be a victim of sexual abuse, sex trafficking, or other | ||
| maltreatment; | ||
| (C) internal procedures for seeking assistance | ||
| for a child who is at risk for sexual abuse, sex trafficking, or | ||
| other maltreatment, including referral to a school counselor, a | ||
| social worker, or another mental health professional; | ||
| (D) techniques for reducing a child's risk of | ||
| sexual abuse, sex trafficking, or other maltreatment; and | ||
| (E) community organizations that have relevant | ||
| existing research-based programs that are able to provide training | ||
| or other education for school district or open-enrollment charter | ||
| school staff members, students, and parents. | ||
| 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. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 111 was passed by the House on March | ||
| 20, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 148, Nays 0, 1 present, not | ||
| voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 111 was passed by the Senate on May | ||
| 16, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: _____________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| _____________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
