Bill Text: TX SB1220 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Engrossed
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to ensuring continuity of education and access to higher education, career information, and skills certification for foster care youth and former foster care youth.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Passed) 2017-06-01 - Effective immediately [SB1220 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB1220-Engrossed.html
Bill Title: Relating to ensuring continuity of education and access to higher education, career information, and skills certification for foster care youth and former foster care youth.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Passed) 2017-06-01 - Effective immediately [SB1220 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB1220-Engrossed.html
By: Miles, Garcia, West | S.B. No. 1220 |
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relating to ensuring continuity of education and access to higher | ||
education, career information, and skills certification for foster | ||
care youth and former foster care youth. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 25.007(b), Education Code, as amended by | ||
Chapters 746 (H.B. 1804), 822 (H.B. 3748), and 1206 (S.B. 1494), | ||
Acts of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, is reenacted | ||
and amended to read as follows: | ||
(b) In recognition of the challenges faced by students who | ||
are homeless or in substitute care, the agency shall assist the | ||
transition of students who are homeless or in substitute care from | ||
one school to another by: | ||
(1) ensuring that school records for a student who is | ||
homeless or in substitute care are transferred to the student's new | ||
school not later than the 10th working day after the date the | ||
student begins enrollment at the school; | ||
(2) developing systems to ease transition of a student | ||
who is homeless or in substitute care during the first two weeks of | ||
enrollment at a new school; | ||
(3) developing procedures for awarding credit, | ||
including partial credit if appropriate, for course work, including | ||
electives, completed by a student who is homeless or in substitute | ||
care while enrolled at another school; | ||
(4) developing procedures to ensure that a new school | ||
relies on decisions made by the previous school regarding placement | ||
in courses or educational programs of a student who is homeless or | ||
in substitute care and places the student in comparable courses or | ||
educational programs at the new school, if those courses or | ||
programs are available; | ||
(5) promoting practices that facilitate access by a | ||
student who is homeless or in substitute care to extracurricular | ||
programs, summer programs, credit transfer services, electronic | ||
courses provided under Chapter 30A, and after-school tutoring | ||
programs at nominal or no cost; | ||
(6) [ |
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adverse impact of the movement of a student who is homeless or in | ||
substitute care to a new school; | ||
(7) [ |
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with the Department of Family and Protective Services regarding the | ||
exchange of information as appropriate to facilitate the transition | ||
of students in substitute care from one school to another; | ||
(8) [ |
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open-enrollment charter schools to provide services for a student | ||
who is homeless or in substitute care in transition when applying | ||
for admission to postsecondary study and when seeking sources of | ||
funding for postsecondary study; | ||
(9) [ |
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open-enrollment charter schools to accept a referral for special | ||
education services made for a student who is homeless or in | ||
substitute care by a school previously attended by the student, and | ||
to provide comparable services to the student during the referral | ||
process or until the new school develops an individualized | ||
education program for the student; | ||
(10) [ |
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open-enrollment charter schools to provide notice to the child's | ||
educational decision-maker and caseworker regarding events that | ||
may significantly impact the education of a child, including: | ||
(A) requests or referrals for an evaluation under | ||
Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section 794), or | ||
special education under Section 29.003; | ||
(B) admission, review, and dismissal committee | ||
meetings; | ||
(C) manifestation determination reviews required | ||
by Section 37.004(b); | ||
(D) any disciplinary actions under Chapter 37 for | ||
which parental notice is required; | ||
(E) citations issued for Class C misdemeanor | ||
offenses on school property or at school-sponsored activities; | ||
(F) reports of restraint and seclusion required | ||
by Section 37.0021; and | ||
(G) use of corporal punishment as provided by | ||
Section 37.0011; | ||
(11) [ |
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student who is homeless or in substitute care who was previously | ||
enrolled in a course required for graduation the opportunity, to | ||
the extent practicable, to complete the course, at no cost to the | ||
student, before the beginning of the next school year; | ||
(12) [ |
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in substitute care who is not likely to receive a high school | ||
diploma before the fifth school year following the student's | ||
enrollment in grade nine, as determined by the district, has the | ||
student's course credit accrual and personal graduation plan | ||
reviewed; | ||
(13) [ |
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who is in grade 11 or 12 be provided information regarding tuition | ||
and fee exemptions under Section 54.366 for dual-credit or other | ||
courses provided by a public institution of higher education for | ||
which a high school student may earn joint high school and college | ||
credit; [ |
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(14) [ |
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to act as a liaison officer regarding educational issues related to | ||
students in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and | ||
Protective Services; and | ||
(15) [ |
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by the agency. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 25.007, Education Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: | ||
(c) The commissioner may establish rules to implement this | ||
section and to facilitate the transition between schools of | ||
children who are homeless or in substitute care. | ||
SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 264, Family Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 264.1211 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 264.1211. CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION PROGRAM. | ||
(a) The department shall collaborate with local workforce | ||
development boards, foster care transition centers, community and | ||
technical colleges, schools, and any other appropriate workforce | ||
industry resources to create a program that: | ||
(1) assists foster care youth and former foster care | ||
youth in obtaining: | ||
(A) a high school diploma or a high school | ||
equivalency certificate; and | ||
(B) industry certifications that are necessary | ||
for occupations that are in high demand; | ||
(2) provides career guidance to foster care youth and | ||
former foster care youth; and | ||
(3) informs foster care youth and former foster care | ||
youth about the tuition and fee waivers for institutions of higher | ||
education that are available under Section 54.366, Education Code. | ||
(b) Not later than September 1, 2018, the department, in | ||
collaboration with the Texas Education Agency, shall produce a | ||
report on the program created under Subsection (a). The report must | ||
include recommendations for legislative or other action to further | ||
develop the program. The department shall submit the report to the | ||
governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of | ||
representatives, and the standing committees of the legislature | ||
with jurisdiction over education. This subsection expires | ||
September 1, 2019. | ||
SECTION 4. Section 25.007(b), Education Code, as reenacted | ||
and amended by this Act, applies beginning with the 2017-2018 | ||
school year. | ||
SECTION 5. To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails | ||
over another Act of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, | ||
relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted | ||
codes. | ||
SECTION 6. 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, 2017. |