Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

      
            S.B. No. 763
         
               AN ACT
            
            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, inclu
Statutes affected: 
Introduced: Education Code 33.002, Education Code 48.115 (Education Code 48, Education Code 33)
Senate Committee Report: Education Code 33.002, Education Code 48.115 (Education Code 48, Education Code 33)
Engrossed: Education Code 48.115 (Education Code 48, Education Code 33)
House Committee Report: Education Code 48.115 (Education Code 48, Education Code 33)
Enrolled: Education Code 48.115 (Education Code 48, Education Code 33)




	AN ACT
	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, inclu Statutes affected: Introduced: Education Code 33.002, Education Code 48.115 (Education Code 48, Education Code 33) Senate Committee Report: Education Code 33.002, Education Code 48.115 (Education Code 48, Education Code 33) Engrossed: Education Code 48.115 (Education Code 48, Education Code 33) House Committee Report: Education Code 48.115 (Education Code 48, Education Code 33) Enrolled: Education Code 48.115 (Education Code 48, Education Code 33)