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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the implementation by public schools of certain |
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communicable disease public health orders issued by a health |
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authority. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 38.0022 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 38.0022. REQUIRED IMPLEMENTATION OF CERTAIN |
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COMMUNICABLE DISEASE PUBLIC HEALTH ORDERS. (a) In this section, |
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"communicable disease" and "health authority" have the meanings |
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assigned by Section 81.003, Health and Safety Code. |
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(b) Notwithstanding any other law and subject to Subsection |
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(c), a school district shall implement or otherwise comply with |
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health directives outlined in a public health order issued by a |
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health authority with jurisdiction over territory in which the |
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district is wholly or partly located regarding evidence-based |
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practices to reduce or eliminate the transmission of or infection |
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with a communicable disease among district students and staff, |
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including directives requiring the students and staff to wear face |
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masks or face coverings. |
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(c) If two or more health authorities with jurisdiction over |
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territory in which a school district is wholly or partly located |
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issue public health orders with conflicting health directives, the |
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board of trustees of the district may select which health |
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authority's public health order the district will implement or |
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otherwise comply with. |
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SECTION 2. Section 38.0022, Education Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies only to a public health order issued by a health |
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authority on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |