SB 784

By: King
  S.B. No. 784
  (Noble)
  A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
  AN ACT
  relating to the transfer of certain public school students who are
  children of peace officers.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 12A.004(a), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  A local innovation plan may not provide for the
  exemption of a district designated as a district of innovation from
  the following provisions of this title:
               (1)  a state or federal requirement applicable to an
  open-enrollment charter school operating under Subchapter D,
  Chapter 12;
               (2)  Subchapters A, C, D, and E, Chapter 11, except that
  a district may be exempt from Sections 11.1511(b)(5) and (14) and
  Section 11.162;
               (3)  transfers of students who are the children of
  peace officers under Section 25.0344;
               (4) [(3)]  state curriculum and graduation
  requirements adopted under Chapter 28; and
               (5) [(4)]  academic and financial accountability and
  sanctions under Chapters 39 and 39A.
         SECTION 2.  Section 25.0344, Education Code, as added by
  Chapter 322 (H.B. 1959), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular
  Session, 2023, is amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding
  Subsections (e) and (f) to read as follows:
         (b)  On request of a peace officer who is a parent of or
  person standing in parental relation to a student, the board of
  trustees of a school district or the board's designee shall
  transfer the student to:
               (1)  another district campus; or
               (2)  any other [to another] school district in this
  state, regardless of whether the sending district and the receiving
  district have entered into [under] an agreement under Section
  25.035.
         (e)  Notwithstanding any other law, both the sending
  district and the receiving district must approve a transfer under
  this section without exception.
         (f)  A school district may not charge a tuition fee under
  Section 25.038 to a student who transfers to the district under this
  section.
         SECTION 3.  Section 12A.004(a), Education Code, as amended
  by this Act, applies only to a local innovation plan adopted or
  renewed on or after the effective date of this Act.  A local
  innovation plan adopted or renewed before the effective date of
  this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the plan was
  adopted or renewed, and the former law is continued in effect for
  that purpose.
         SECTION 4.  This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026
  school year.
         SECTION 5.  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, 2025.