By: Bell of Kaufman, Buckley, H.B. No. 3315
      Harris of Anderson, Hefner, Dutton,
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to a school district's grievance procedure regarding
  complaints concerning violation of parental rights.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 26.011, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsections (c), (d), and (e) to read as follows:
         (c)  The grievance procedure adopted under Subsection (a)
  must:
               (1)  provide for:
                     (A)  a parent's complaint to be:
                           (i)  filed in writing with the principal of
  the campus at which the parent's student is enrolled; and
                           (ii)  considered timely regardless of when
  the conduct giving rise to the complaint occurred if the complaint
  alleges a violation of law or board policy that is continuous or
  ongoing;
                     (B)  if the principal does not grant the requested
  relief, an appeal on written request to the district superintendent
  or the superintendent's designee that includes a review of all
  documents considered by the principal;
                     (C)  if the superintendent or the
  superintendent's designee does not grant the requested relief, an
  appeal on written request to the board of trustees of the district
  that:
                           (i)  includes a review of all documents
  considered by the principal and the superintendent or the
  superintendent's designee;
                           (ii)  unless otherwise agreed to by the
  parties, must be finally decided not later than 120 calendar days
  after the date on which the request for the appeal was submitted;
  and
                           (iii)  if a final decision is not rendered
  before the date described by Subparagraph (ii), requires the board
  to immediately render a final decision on the complaint in favor of
  the parent; and
                     (D)  if the board of trustees of the district does
  not grant the requested relief, notice to the parent regarding the
  parent's right to file an appeal with the commissioner under
  Section 7.057; and
               (2)  be:
                     (A)  posted in a prominent location on the
  district's Internet website, along with instructions on how a
  parent may file a complaint; and
                     (B)  provided in English and Spanish to the parent
  of each student enrolled in the district at the beginning of each
  school year and on request.
         (d)  The agency shall:
               (1)  adopt a model grievance procedure for use by
  school districts under this section; and
               (2)  post on the agency's Internet website a copy of the
  model grievance procedure and general guidelines regarding how a
  parent may file a complaint with a school district under this
  section or appeal a district's decision to the commissioner under
  Section 7.057.
         (e)  If, during the investigation of a grievance, the board
  of trustees of a school district discovers an unreported violation
  of a right guaranteed by this chapter or board policy concerning
  those rights, the board of trustees shall open a new investigation
  into the unreported violation.
         SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024
  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, 2023.