Bill Text: TX SB142 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the availability of school counselors at public middle, junior high, and high school campuses.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-02-01 - Referred to Education [SB142 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB142-Introduced.html
| 86R1645 MM-D | ||
| By: Rodríguez | S.B. No. 142 | |
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| relating to the availability of school counselors at public middle, | ||
| junior high, and high school campuses. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 33.002, Education Code, is amended by | ||
| amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (d) to read as | ||
| follows: | ||
| (a) From funds appropriated for the purpose or other funds | ||
| that may be used for the purpose, the commissioner shall distribute | ||
| funds for programs under this subchapter. In distributing those | ||
| funds, the commissioner shall give preference to a school district | ||
| that received funds under this subsection for the preceding school | ||
| year and then to the districts that have the highest concentration | ||
| of students at risk of dropping out of school, as described by | ||
| Section 29.081. To receive funds for the program, a school | ||
| district must apply to the commissioner. For each school year that | ||
| a school district receives funds under this subsection, the | ||
| district shall allocate an amount of local funds for school | ||
| guidance and counseling programs that is equal to or greater than | ||
| the amount of local funds that the school district allocated for | ||
| that purpose during the preceding school year. Subsections (b) and | ||
| (c) apply [ |
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| receives funds as provided by this subsection. | ||
| (d) A school district shall ensure that a full-time school | ||
| counselor certified under the rules of the State Board for Educator | ||
| Certification is available at each middle, junior high, or high | ||
| school campus in the district with an enrollment of more than 350 | ||
| students. This subsection does not apply to a campus that serves | ||
| only students placed in a disciplinary alternative education | ||
| program, juvenile justice alternative education program, or other | ||
| alternative education program. If a campus serves a combination of | ||
| students placed in those programs and students enrolled in a | ||
| regular education program, only the number of students enrolled in | ||
| the regular education program is considered in determining whether | ||
| the campus is required to ensure the availability of a school | ||
| counselor in accordance with this subsection. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 42, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 42.2519 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 42.2519. ADDITIONAL STATE AID FOR CERTIFIED SCHOOL | ||
| COUNSELORS. (a) For each school year, from funds that may be used | ||
| for the purpose, a school district is entitled to state aid in an | ||
| amount, as determined by the commissioner, sufficient to assist the | ||
| district in employing certified school counselors required by | ||
| Section 33.002(d). | ||
| (b) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to | ||
| administer this section. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020 | ||
| school year. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
