Bill Text: TX HB1640 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to establishing a pilot program to employ a life skills counselor at public high school campuses in certain counties.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-05-07 - Referred to Education [HB1640 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB1640-Introduced.html
| 86R6999 SOS-D | ||
| By: Martinez | H.B. No. 1640 | |
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| relating to establishing a pilot program to employ a life skills | ||
| counselor at public high school campuses in certain counties. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 33, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 33.010 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 33.010. LIFE SKILLS COUNSELOR PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In | ||
| this section: | ||
| (1) "Crime of violence" has the meaning assigned by | ||
| Article 59.01, Code of Criminal Procedure. | ||
| (2) "Pilot program" means the life skills counselor | ||
| pilot program established under this section. | ||
| (b) This section applies only to a county that: | ||
| (1) is adjacent to: | ||
| (A) at least two counties that border the Gulf of | ||
| Mexico; and | ||
| (B) at least two counties that are located on the | ||
| international border; and | ||
| (2) is located within 50 miles of a county described by | ||
| Subdivision (1). | ||
| (c) The commissioner shall establish a life skills | ||
| counselor pilot program at each high school campus located in a | ||
| county subject to this section as a strategy for addressing | ||
| emotional and mental health concerns of students. | ||
| (d) A school district located in a county subject to this | ||
| section shall employ for each district high school campus located | ||
| in the county a school counselor certified under Subchapter B, | ||
| Chapter 21, to serve as a life skills counselor under the pilot | ||
| program. | ||
| (e) A life skills counselor employed to serve at a high | ||
| school campus under this section shall: | ||
| (1) collaborate with school district administrators, | ||
| school counselors, social workers, other appropriately | ||
| credentialed mental health professionals, and local law | ||
| enforcement agencies to address mental health concerns affecting | ||
| students at the high school campus; | ||
| (2) provide instruction to students enrolled at the | ||
| high school campus relating to skills and techniques to cope with | ||
| anxiety, frustration, and other emotions; | ||
| (3) counsel any students enrolled at the high school | ||
| campus who have committed a crime of violence or are identified as | ||
| having a mental health condition; and | ||
| (4) establish a voluntary counseling program for | ||
| students enrolled at the high school campus. | ||
| (f) A school district located in a county subject to this | ||
| section may solicit and accept a gift, grant, or donation from any | ||
| source, including a foundation, private entity, governmental | ||
| entity, or institution of higher education to implement or | ||
| administer the pilot program. | ||
| (g) Not later than January 1, 2025, the commissioner shall | ||
| review the pilot program established under this section and submit | ||
| to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house | ||
| of representatives, and the presiding officer of each legislative | ||
| standing committee with primary jurisdiction over primary and | ||
| secondary education a written report regarding the progress made by | ||
| the pilot program in addressing emotional and mental health | ||
| concerns of students. | ||
| (h) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to | ||
| administer the pilot program. | ||
| (i) This section expires September 1, 2025. | ||
| SECTION 2. (a) Not later than December 1, 2019, the | ||
| commissioner of education shall adopt rules necessary to implement | ||
| and administer the life skills counselor pilot program established | ||
| under Section 33.010, Education Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| (b) The life skills counselor pilot program established | ||
| under Section 33.010, Education Code, as added by this Act, shall be | ||
| implemented in each public high school located in a county subject | ||
| to that section beginning with the 2020-2021 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. | ||
