Legislative Blog
J.B. Williams, J.D.
7 bills affecting the Education code
A Blog about 88th Legislature Laws
A Bit of Background
The following backgrounds help summarize the author's views on both the general topic: Texas and more specifically 88th Legislature Laws as it relates to that topic.
Brief Summary of Texas
Texas is truly a Republic. There are a multitude of items that to modify the state constitution must be modified. So there are times when Constitutional amendments are on the voting ballots. While I sometimes abhor the wording, the concept that all of those legally able to vote in Texas must vote on the change is a good one. And bills in Texas are generally short, making it easier for everyone to understand.
Summary of 88th Legislature Laws
The blogs here will discuss the laws passed by Congress and signed into law, as well as those, passed by Congress and approved by the voters to become law. There are a multitude of laws and each time I post blogs I will notate here the current effective date if it is different from prior blogs. I am currently posting bills that took effect immediately - those bills total 336. I am currently posting regarding larger bills, so each blog covers a single bill.
Blog Summary
SB 1008 - Establishing residency for nursing school
SB 1047 - A pilot program will be looked into by the consortium
SB 1471 - Allowing private school to do National Criminal History record requests
SB 1506 - A parent may submit a seizure treatment plan on the form provided.
SB 1563 - The law creating funding for the Osteopathic Medicine were repealed.
SB 1720 - An employee may request their identify be kept confidential when reporting a potential threat.
SB 1887 - Students must be able to enter into joint high school diploma and college credit courses through participating colleges.
7 bills affecting the Education code
Published: 2024-03-11
SB 1008
Nursing-related postsecondary education
A person can establish residence within the 90th day of arrival in the school's district attendance zone.
SB 1047
Funding and activities of the Texas Produce Water Consortium
On or before October 1, 2023, the consortium shall select a pilot project for consideration. And no later than October 1, 2024, the consortium shall submit a report to the legislature regarding the status of the pilot program and any suggested policy, regulatory, or legislative changes result from analyzing the pilot program. This will only happen if funding is allocated.
SB 1471
Access by the Texas Education Agency and private schools to certain criminal history records
A qualified private school may require an individual to submit to a national criminal history record information review before being employed by the school. The submission may require submission of fingerprints and photographs. The private school may be required to pay any fees associated with the national criminal history record.
A qualified private school is a school that:
- offers instruction for students in Texas in one or more grades from prekindergarten through grade 12;
- is accredited and organized by the Texas Education Agency or Texas Private School Accreditation Commission;
- is determined to be eligible by the department
Once the criminal history record information is obtained, it may not be released to any person except the person who is the subject of the information; it is not subject to disclosure rules in Chapter 552; and it shall be destroyed by the school after it is used for its authorized purpose.
SB 1506
Seizure management and treatment plan for care of a student with a seizure disorder
A parent or guardian may submit a seizure management and treatment plan to the school their child is attending. There will be a form requesting the following:
- student's name and date of birth;
- name and contact information for parent or guardian, the physician responsible for the treatment plan, and at least 1 other emergency contact;
- any significant medical history regarding the seizure disorder;
- type, length, and frequency of the seizures;
- description of each type of seizure the student has experienced;
- seizure triggers or warning signs;
- student's ability to manage seizures and their level of understanding;
- student's response after a seizure;
- basic first aid to be provided during a seizure;
- description of what constitutes a seizure emergency for the student;
- description of the seizure emergency protocol;
-
treatment protocol or any medications or other procedures to be administered by the district to the student during school hours, including:
- each daily or emergency medication with name and dosage and time to be administered, any common side effects, and any special instructions;
- whether the student has a vagus nerve stimulator and, if so, appropriate magnet use for the stimulator;
- special considerations or precautions; and
- signatures of the parent/guardian and the physician responsible for the treatment
SB 1563
Eligibility of Sam Houston State University to receive funding for Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
The section of the Education code addressing the funding of the Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine was repealed in it's entirety.
SB 1720
Confidentiality of the identity of an employee who reports a potential threat to the school's threat assessment and safe and supportive school team.
This allows the party reporting the potential threat to request their identity be kept confidential and not disclosable under Chapter 552 of the Government Code, except as necessary to investigate the potential threat. And the district must maintain this information, including that the employee elected confidentiality.
SB 1887
Requirements of early college education program and the transfer of the credit to public institutions of higher learning.
A student must be able to enroll in courses that allow them to receive high school credit and college credit, such that, within five years they will receive a high school diploma and either:
- an applied associates degree or
- an academic associates degree with a completed field of study curriculum that is transferrable toward a baccalaureate degree at one or more general academic teaching institutions
The board may authorize general academic institutions to adopt a field of study curriculum that they must post so that students may complete those while completing high school. And they laid out specific rules for institutions that are wanting to deny transfer of credits, and how the resolution of this shall occur.
A public junior college, public state college, or public technical institution shall award a 'Texas Direct' associate degree, including a notation of the student's transcript, if the student completes a field of study curriculum developed by the board and:
- the college's core curriculum; or
- an abbreviated core curriculum related to a specific approved field of study transferrable to one or more general academic teaching institutions
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