Bill Text: TX SB763 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
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-Enrolled.html
S.B. No. 763 |
|
||
relating to allowing public schools to employ or accept as | ||
volunteers chaplains. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subtitle D, Title 2, Education Code, is amended | ||
by adding Chapter 23 to read as follows: | ||
CHAPTER 23. SCHOOL CHAPLAINS | ||
Sec. 23.001. SCHOOL CHAPLAINS. (a) A school district or | ||
open-enrollment charter school may employ or accept as a volunteer | ||
a chaplain to provide support, services, and programs for students | ||
as assigned by the board of trustees of the district or the | ||
governing body of the school. A chaplain employed or volunteering | ||
under this chapter is not required to be certified by the State | ||
Board for Educator Certification. | ||
(b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school | ||
that employs or accepts as a volunteer a chaplain under this chapter | ||
shall ensure that the chaplain complies with the applicable | ||
requirements under Subchapter C, Chapter 22, before the chaplain | ||
begins employment or volunteering at the district or school. | ||
(c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may | ||
not employ or accept as a volunteer a chaplain who has been | ||
convicted of or placed on deferred adjudication community | ||
supervision for an offense for which a defendant is required to | ||
register as a sex offender under Chapter 62, Code of Criminal | ||
Procedure. | ||
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 employ or accept as a volunteer a chaplain | ||
under Chapter 23, 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. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 763 passed the Senate on | ||
April 25, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 18, Nays 12; | ||
May 11, 2023, Senate refused to concur in House amendments and | ||
requested appointment of Conference Committee; May 15, 2023, House | ||
granted request of the Senate; May 23, 2023, Senate adopted | ||
Conference Committee Report by the following vote: Yeas 19, | ||
Nays 12. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 763 passed the House, with | ||
amendments, on May 9, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 89, | ||
Nays 58, one present not voting; May 15, 2023, House granted | ||
request of the Senate for appointment of Conference Committee; | ||
May 24, 2023, House adopted Conference Committee Report by the | ||
following vote: Yeas 84, Nays 60, one present not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
Approved: | ||
______________________________ | ||
Date | ||
______________________________ | ||
Governor |