Bill Text: TX SB1862 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of a task force by the commissioner of education on students residing in temporary living arrangements.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-26 - Referred to Education [SB1862 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB1862-Introduced.html
| 87R11356 MLH-D | ||
| By: Powell | S.B. No. 1862 | |
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| relating to the creation of a task force by the commissioner of | ||
| education on students residing in temporary living arrangements. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 29.928 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 29.928. TASK FORCE ON STUDENTS RESIDING IN TEMPORARY | ||
| LIVING ARRANGEMENTS. (a) The commissioner shall establish a task | ||
| force to identify the number of students residing in extended stay | ||
| motels or other temporary living arrangements and study the | ||
| educational outcomes of those students. | ||
| (b) The task force is composed of an odd number of not fewer | ||
| than 13 members appointed by the commissioner and must include: | ||
| (1) an employee of a school district or | ||
| open-enrollment charter school designated as a homeless education | ||
| liaison; | ||
| (2) a representative of law enforcement; | ||
| (3) an emergency medical technician; | ||
| (4) a representative of a local mental health | ||
| authority; | ||
| (5) a representative of an extended stay motel or | ||
| similar temporary living shelter; | ||
| (6) two public school administrators; | ||
| (7) an employee of an institution of higher education, | ||
| as that term is defined by Section 61.003; | ||
| (8) a representative from a community service entity | ||
| that provides services to homeless people; | ||
| (9) a mental health services provider; | ||
| (10) a school counselor; | ||
| (11) a representative of the Texas Department of | ||
| Housing and Community Affairs; and | ||
| (12) a representative of the Health and Human Services | ||
| Commission. | ||
| (c) In appointing members to the task force, the | ||
| commissioner shall appoint, to the greatest extent practicable, | ||
| persons who reside in areas that have a significant percentage of | ||
| homeless students, as determined by the commissioner. | ||
| (d) The task force shall: | ||
| (1) identify local, state, and other laws or | ||
| regulations that negatively impact rates of student homelessness; | ||
| (2) study unseen and unintended consequences of | ||
| students residing in extended stay motels or in other temporary | ||
| living arrangements, including dropout rates and rates of | ||
| prostitution, drug use, and other negative consequences; | ||
| (3) recommend policies and resources that would assist | ||
| families and students residing in extended stay motels or in other | ||
| temporary living arrangements; | ||
| (4) recommend methods to increase student attendance | ||
| and educational outcomes for students residing in extended stay | ||
| motels or in other temporary living arrangements; and | ||
| (5) study the impact of the coronavirus disease | ||
| (COVID-19) pandemic on the student homelessness population. | ||
| (e) Not later than September 1, 2022, the task force shall | ||
| submit to the legislature a report on the task force's findings and | ||
| recommendations. The agency shall post the report on the agency's | ||
| Internet website. | ||
| (f) The task force is abolished and this section expires | ||
| September 1, 2023. | ||
| SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date | ||
| of this Act, the commissioner of education shall appoint the | ||
| members of the task force established under Section 29.928, | ||
| Education Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| SECTION 3. The commissioner of education is required to | ||
| implement this Act only if the legislature appropriates money | ||
| specifically for that purpose. If the legislature does not | ||
| appropriate money specifically for that purpose, the commissioner | ||
| may, but is not required to, implement this Act using other money | ||
| available for that purpose. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
