Bill Text: TX SB490 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled

---

Bill Title: Relating to school counselors in public schools.

Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Passed) 2017-06-09 - Effective immediately [SB490 Detail]

Download: Texas-2017-SB490-Enrolled.html

---

S.B. No. 490

AN ACT
relating to school counselors in public schools.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 33.007, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to read as
follows:
(b) During the first school year a student is enrolled in a
high school or at the high school level in an open-enrollment
charter school, and again during each year of a student's
enrollment in high school or at the high school level, a school
counselor shall provide information about postsecondary education
to the student and the student's parent or guardian. The
information must include information regarding:
(1) the importance of postsecondary education;
(2) the advantages of earning an endorsement and a
performance acknowledgment and completing the distinguished level
of achievement under the foundation high school program under
Section 28.025;
(3) the disadvantages of taking courses to prepare for
a high school equivalency examination relative to the benefits of
taking courses leading to a high school diploma;
(4) financial aid eligibility;
(5) instruction on how to apply for federal financial
aid;
(6) the center for financial aid information
established under Section 61.0776;
(7) the automatic admission of certain students to
general academic teaching institutions as provided by Section
51.803;
(8) the eligibility and academic performance
requirements for the TEXAS Grant as provided by Subchapter M,
Chapter 56; [and]
(9) the availability of programs in the district under
which a student may earn college credit, including advanced
placement programs, dual credit programs, joint high school and
college credit programs, and international baccalaureate programs;
and
(10) the availability of education and training
vouchers and tuition and fee waivers to attend an institution of
higher education as provided by Section 54.366 for a student who is
or was previously in the conservatorship of the Department of
Family and Protective Services.
(b-1) When providing information under Subsection (b)(10),
the school counselor must report to the student and the student's
parent or guardian the number of times the counselor has provided
the information to the student.
SECTION 2. Section 39.306, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (d-1) to read as follows:
(d-1) The report must also include the number of school
counselors providing counseling services at each campus.
SECTION 3. Section 42.006, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (a-2) to read as follows:
(a-2) The commissioner by rule shall require each school
district and open-enrollment charter school to report through the
Public Education Information Management System information
regarding the availability of school counselors at each campus.
The commissioner's rules shall require a district or school to
report the number of full-time equivalent school counselors
providing counseling services at a campus. For purposes of this
subsection, "full-time equivalent school counselor" means 40 hours
of counseling services a week. The agency shall maintain the
information provided in accordance with this subsection.
SECTION 4. 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.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 490 passed the Senate on
March 29, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 2; and that
the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 27, 2017, by the
following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 3.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 490 passed the House, with
amendment, on May 24, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 112,
Nays 34, two present not voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved:
______________________________
Date
______________________________
Governor