Bill Text: TX SB763 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to allowing public schools to employ or accept as volunteers chaplains.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 10-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-06-18 - Effective on 9/1/23 [SB763 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB763-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Relating to allowing public schools to employ or accept as volunteers chaplains.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 10-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-06-18 - Effective on 9/1/23 [SB763 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB763-Introduced.html
By: Middleton | S.B. No. 763 | |
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relating to allowing school districts to employ chaplains to | ||
perform the duties of school counselors. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 33.002, Education Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subsection (d) to read as follows: | ||
(d) Notwithstanding Subsections (b) and (c) or any other | ||
law, a school district may employ a chaplain instead of a school | ||
counselor to perform the duties required of a school counselor | ||
under this title. A chaplain employed under this subsection is not | ||
required to be certified by the State Board for Educator | ||
Certification. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 48.115(b), Education Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(b) Funds allocated under this section must be used to | ||
improve school safety and security, including costs associated | ||
with: | ||
(1) securing school facilities, including: | ||
(A) improvements to school infrastructure; | ||
(B) the use or installation of physical barriers; | ||
and | ||
(C) the purchase and maintenance of: | ||
(i) security cameras or other security | ||
equipment; and | ||
(ii) technology, including communications | ||
systems or devices, that facilitates communication and information | ||
sharing between students, school personnel, and first responders in | ||
an emergency; | ||
(2) providing security for the district, including: | ||
(A) employing school district peace officers, | ||
private security officers, and school marshals; and | ||
(B) collaborating with local law enforcement | ||
agencies, such as entering into a memorandum of understanding for | ||
the assignment of school resource officers to schools in the | ||
district; | ||
(3) school safety and security training and planning, | ||
including: | ||
(A) active shooter and emergency response | ||
training; | ||
(B) prevention and treatment programs relating | ||
to addressing adverse childhood experiences; and | ||
(C) the prevention, identification, and | ||
management of emergencies and threats, using evidence-based, | ||
effective prevention practices and including: | ||
(i) providing licensed counselors, social | ||
workers, chaplains, and individuals trained in restorative | ||
discipline and restorative justice practices; | ||
(ii) providing mental health personnel and | ||
support, including chaplains; | ||
(iii) providing behavioral health | ||
services, including hiring chaplains; | ||
(iv) establishing threat reporting | ||
systems; and | ||
(v) developing and implementing programs | ||
focused on restorative justice practices, culturally relevant | ||
instruction, and providing mental health support, including the | ||
utilization of chaplains; and | ||
(4) providing programs related to suicide prevention, | ||
intervention, and postvention, including the utilization of | ||
chaplains. | ||
SECTION 3. Each board of trustees of a school district and | ||
each governing body of an open-enrollment charter school shall take | ||
a record vote not later than six months after the effective date of | ||
this Act on whether to adopt a policy authorizing every campus of | ||
the district or school to hire a chaplain under Sections 33.002 and | ||
48.115, Education Code, as added by this Act. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024 | ||
school year. | ||
SECTION 5. 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. |