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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to public and private school searches of students with |
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parental consent and certain disciplinary measures and other |
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procedures that may arise from such a search. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 37, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Sections 37.0012 and 37.0013 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 37.0012. PARENTAL-CONSENT SEARCH. (a) The principal |
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of a public or private primary or secondary school or |
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open-enrollment charter school who suspects a student of engaging |
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in harmful or illegal conduct that poses a serious risk to the |
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student or other students at the school may seek consent from the |
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parent or guardian of the student to search the student and the |
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possessions of the student for evidence of a violation of the law or |
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school policy. If the student's parent or guardian consents to the |
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search, the principal may conduct the search with the assistance of |
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a peace officer commissioned by the board of trustees of a district |
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or security personnel employed by the school. |
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(b) The principal of a public or private primary or |
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secondary school or open-enrollment charter school or a peace |
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officer commissioned by the board of trustees of a district or |
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security personnel employed by the school shall confiscate any item |
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or substance prohibited by law and immediately deliver the item or |
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substance to a local law enforcement agency. |
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Sec. 37.0013. DISCIPLINE FOR VIOLATIONS OF LAW OR SCHOOL |
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POLICY DISCOVERED IN PARENTAL-CONSENT SEARCH. (a) A student found |
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to be in violation of law or school policy based on a |
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parental-consent search conducted under Section 37.0012 may not be |
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expelled for the violation. |
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(b) A student found to be in violation of law or school |
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policy based on a parental-consent search conducted under Section |
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37.0012 may, with the consent of the student's parent or guardian, |
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be subject to compulsory attendance at, as appropriate: |
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(1) a youth boot camp established under Section |
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37.013(b); and |
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(2) a substance abuse treatment program established |
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under Section 37.013(c). |
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SECTION 2. Section 37.007(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Except as provided by Subsection (k) or Section 37.0013, |
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a student shall be expelled from a school if the student, on school |
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property or while attending a school-sponsored or school-related |
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activity on or off of school property: |
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(1) uses, exhibits, or possesses: |
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(A) a firearm as defined by Section 46.01(3), |
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Penal Code; |
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(B) an illegal knife as defined by Section |
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46.01(6), Penal Code, or by local policy; |
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(C) a club as defined by Section 46.01(1), Penal |
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Code; or |
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(D) a weapon listed as a prohibited weapon under |
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Section 46.05, Penal Code; |
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(2) engages in conduct that contains the elements of |
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the offense of: |
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(A) aggravated assault under Section 22.02, |
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Penal Code, sexual assault under Section 22.011, Penal Code, or |
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aggravated sexual assault under Section 22.021, Penal Code; |
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(B) arson under Section 28.02, Penal Code; |
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(C) murder under Section 19.02, Penal Code, |
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capital murder under Section 19.03, Penal Code, or criminal |
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attempt, under Section 15.01, Penal Code, to commit murder or |
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capital murder; |
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(D) indecency with a child under Section 21.11, |
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Penal Code; |
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(E) aggravated kidnapping under Section 20.04, |
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Penal Code; |
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(F) aggravated robbery under Section 29.03, |
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Penal Code; |
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(G) manslaughter under Section 19.04, Penal |
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Code; |
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(H) criminally negligent homicide under Section |
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19.05, Penal Code; or |
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(I) continuous sexual abuse of young child or |
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children under Section 21.02, Penal Code; or |
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(3) engages in conduct specified by Section |
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37.006(a)(2)(C) or (D), if the conduct is punishable as a felony. |
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SECTION 3. Section 37.013, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 37.013. COORDINATION BETWEEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND |
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JUVENILE BOARDS; YOUTH BOOT CAMP; SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAM. (a) The |
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board of trustees of the school district or the board's designee |
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shall at the call of the president of the board of trustees |
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regularly meet with the juvenile board for the county in which the |
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district's central administrative office is located or the juvenile |
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board's designee concerning supervision and rehabilitative |
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services appropriate for expelled students and students assigned to |
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disciplinary alternative education programs. Matters for |
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discussion shall include service by probation officers at the |
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disciplinary alternative education program site, recruitment of |
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volunteers to serve as mentors and provide tutoring services, and |
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coordination with other social service agencies. |
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(b) The board of trustees of a school district or governing |
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body of an open-enrollment charter school or private school may |
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cooperate with the juvenile board of the county or local juvenile |
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probation department in establishing a youth boot camp in |
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accordance with Section 152.0011, Human Resources Code, for |
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students who violate a law or school policy in a manner that poses a |
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serious risk to the student or other students at the school. |
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(c) The board of trustees of a school district or governing |
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body of an open-enrollment charter school or private school may |
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cooperate with the juvenile board of the county or local juvenile |
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probation department in establishing a substance abuse treatment |
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program for students who violate a law or school policy by engaging |
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in prohibited conduct related to the use, possession, or delivery |
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of alcohol or a controlled substance. |
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SECTION 4. Chapter 54, Family Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 54.0321 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 54.0321. DEFERRAL OF ADJUDICATION AND DISMISSAL OF |
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CERTAIN CASES ON COMPLETION OF DISCIPLINARY PROGRAM. (a) This |
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section applies only to a child who, based on evidence obtained |
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pursuant to a parental-consent search under Section 37.0012, |
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Education Code, is alleged to have engaged in conduct indicating a |
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need for supervision or delinquent conduct. |
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(b) A juvenile court may defer adjudication proceedings |
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under Section 54.03 for not more than 180 days if a child described |
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by Subsection (a) presents to the court a written request to attend |
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a disciplinary program under Section 37.0013, Education Code. |
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(c) A child for whom adjudication proceedings are deferred |
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under Subsection (b) shall complete the disciplinary program not |
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later than the 90th day after the date the teen court hearing to |
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determine punishment is held or the last day of the deferral period, |
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whichever date is earlier. The court shall dismiss the case with |
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prejudice at the time the child presents satisfactory evidence that |
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the child has successfully completed the disciplinary program. |
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(d) A case dismissed under this section may not be part of |
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the child's records for any purpose. |
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SECTION 5. Section 58.003, Family Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (c-7) and (d-1) to read as follows: |
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(c-7) This subsection applies only to a child who, based on |
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evidence obtained pursuant to a parental-consent search under |
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Section 37.0012, Education Code, is adjudicated to have engaged in |
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conduct indicating a need for supervision or delinquent conduct. |
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Notwithstanding Subsections (a) and (c) and subject to Subsection |
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(b), a juvenile court may order the sealing of records concerning a |
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child described by this subsection if the child successfully |
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completed a disciplinary program described by Section 37.0012, |
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Education Code, or graduated from high school or received the |
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child's certificate of high school equivalency. The court may: |
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(1) order the sealing of the records immediately and |
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without a hearing; or |
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(2) hold a hearing to determine whether to seal the |
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records. |
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(d-1) The court may grant the relief authorized under |
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Subsection (c-7) at any time after the child satisfies the |
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requirements of that subsection. If the child is referred to the |
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juvenile court for conduct constituting any offense and at the |
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adjudication hearing the child is found to be not guilty of each |
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offense alleged, the court shall immediately and without any |
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additional hearing order the sealing of all files and records |
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relating to the case. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |