Bill Text: TX SB891 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to excused absences from public school for a student's mental or behavioral health.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-08 - Left pending in committee [SB891 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB891-Introduced.html
| By: Zaffirini | S.B. No. 891 | |
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| relating to excused absences from public school for a student's | ||
| mental or behavioral health. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 25.087, Education Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subsection (b-9) and amending Subsection (d) to read as | ||
| follows: | ||
| (b-9) A school district shall excuse a student from | ||
| attending school for a maximum of five days in a school year so that | ||
| a student may seek or receive mental or behavioral health | ||
| treatment, support, or diagnosis with documentation from a health | ||
| care provider. The district may: | ||
| (1) create a policy to allow students to be excused for | ||
| absences related to mental or behavioral health treatment, support, | ||
| or diagnosis without documentation from a health care professional. | ||
| This policy may require the student to provide previous | ||
| documentation or be seen by a school counselor or similar district | ||
| professional, with written consent from a parent or guardian or in | ||
| accordance with Section 32.004, Family Code. | ||
| (d) A student whose absence is excused under Subsection (b), | ||
| (b-1), (b-2), (b-4), (b-5), (b-7), (b-9), or (c) may not be | ||
| penalized for that absence and shall be counted as if the student | ||
| attended school for purposes of calculating the average daily | ||
| attendance of students in the school district. A student whose | ||
| absence is excused under Subsection (b), (b-1), (b-2), (b-4), | ||
| (b-5), (b-7), (b-9), or (c) shall be allowed a reasonable time to | ||
| make up school work missed on those days. If the student | ||
| satisfactorily completes the school work, the day of absence shall | ||
| be counted as a day of compulsory attendance. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024 | ||
| school year. | ||
| SECTION 3. 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. | ||
