Bill Text: TX SB763 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Comm Sub
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-Comm_Sub.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-Comm_Sub.html
By: Middleton, Hughes, Perry | S.B. No. 763 | |
(In the Senate - Filed February 7, 2023; March 1, 2023, read | ||
first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 17, 2023, | ||
reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the | ||
following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 3; April 17, 2023, sent to printer.) | ||
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 763 | By: Birdwell |
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relating to allowing public schools to employ or accept as | ||
volunteers 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 or an open-enrollment charter school may | ||
employ or accept as a volunteer a chaplain to perform the duties | ||
required of a school counselor under this title. A chaplain | ||
employed or volunteering 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 services provided by 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 | ||
support provided by chaplains; and | ||
(4) providing programs related to suicide prevention, | ||
intervention, and postvention, including programs provided by | ||
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 a campus of the | ||
district or school to hire or accept as a volunteer a chaplain under | ||
Section 33.002(d), 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. | ||
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