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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to providing an opportunity for public high school |
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students in grades 10 through 12 to take the Armed Services |
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Vocational Aptitude Battery test or an alternative vocational |
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aptitude test. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 29.9015 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 29.9015. ARMED SERVICES VOCATIONAL APTITUDE BATTERY |
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TEST. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (d) or (e), each school |
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year each school district and open-enrollment charter school shall |
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provide students in grades 10 through 12 an opportunity to take the |
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Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test and consult with a |
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military recruiter. |
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(b) The test under Subsection (a) must be scheduled: |
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(1) during normal school hours; and |
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(2) to optimize student participation, at a time that |
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limits conflicts with extracurricular activities. |
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(c) Each school district and open-enrollment charter school |
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shall provide each student in grades 10 through 12 and the student's |
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parent or person standing in parental relation to the student a |
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notice of the date, time, and location of the scheduled |
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administration of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery |
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test. |
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(d) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may |
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elect not to provide the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery |
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test only if the district or school provides an alternative test |
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that: |
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(1) assesses a student's aptitude for success in a |
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career field other than a career field that requires postsecondary |
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education; |
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(2) is free to administer; |
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(3) requires minimal training and support of district |
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or school faculty and staff to administer the test; and |
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(4) provides the student with a professional |
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interpretation of the test results that allows the student to: |
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(A) explore occupations that are consistent with |
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the student's interests and skills; and |
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(B) develop strategies to attain the student's |
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career goals. |
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(e) This subsection applies only to a school district, |
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open-enrollment charter school, or high school that, before |
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September 1, 2017, entered into a contract under which a vocational |
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aptitude test that does not comply with the requirements for an |
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alternative test under Subsection (d) is provided to students in |
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grades 10 through 12. A school district, open-enrollment charter |
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school, or high school subject to this subsection may elect not to |
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provide the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test for the |
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term of the contract. On the expiration of the contract term, the |
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exemption provided by this subsection is not applicable. |
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(f) Not later than August 1 of each year, the agency shall |
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publish a list of school districts and open-enrollment charter |
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schools that elected under Subsection (d) or (e) not to provide the |
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Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test during the previous |
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school year. |
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SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2017-2018 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 3. 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, 2017. |