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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a pilot program operated by certain public or private |
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primary or secondary or open-enrollment charter schools in Webb |
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County concerning searches and drug testing of students with |
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parental consent and certain disciplinary measures and other |
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procedures that may arise from such a search or test. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 37, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter A-1 to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER A-1. ALTERNATIVE DISCIPLINE PILOT PROGRAM |
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Sec. 37.031. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter, "controlled |
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substance" and "marihuana" have the meanings assigned by Section |
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481.002, Health and Safety Code. |
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Sec. 37.032. PILOT PROGRAM. A public school district, |
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private school, or open-enrollment charter school in Webb County |
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may operate a pilot program described by this subchapter to |
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determine whether the conduct of parental-consent searches of |
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students and parental-consent drug or alcohol tests of students and |
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the subsequent use of alternative juvenile discipline procedures |
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for those students are effective in reducing drug or alcohol use |
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while minimizing involvement in the criminal justice system for |
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matters related to drug or alcohol use. |
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Sec. 37.033. PARENTAL-CONSENT SEARCH. (a) In a public |
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school district or private primary or secondary school or |
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open-enrollment charter school operating a pilot program under this |
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subchapter, a school principal who reasonably suspects a student |
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possesses alcohol, marihuana, or a controlled substance may seek |
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written consent from the parent or guardian of the student to search |
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the student and the possessions of the student for alcohol, |
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marihuana, or a controlled substance. If the student's parent or |
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guardian provides written consent for the search, the principal or |
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the principal's designee may conduct the search in accordance with |
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rules adopted by the board of trustees of a district or governing |
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body of the private school or charter school under Section 37.035. |
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(b) The principal of a public or private primary or |
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secondary school or open-enrollment charter school or the |
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principal's designee that conducts a search under this section |
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shall confiscate any alcohol, marihuana, or controlled substance |
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discovered in the search and shall immediately inform a local law |
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enforcement agency. A local law enforcement agency that receives |
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notice under this subsection shall take possession of the alcohol, |
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marihuana, or controlled substance as soon as practicable but in no |
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case later than 72 hours after the agency receives notice. |
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(c) A student may not be searched under this section more |
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than one time in a week. |
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Sec. 37.034. PARENTAL-CONSENT DRUG OR ALCOHOL TESTS. (a) |
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In a public school district or private primary or secondary school |
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or open-enrollment charter school operating a pilot program under |
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this subchapter, a school principal may seek written consent from |
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the parent or guardian of a student younger than 17 years of age to |
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perform a nonintrusive drug or alcohol test on the student if the |
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principal reasonably believes that the student is using alcohol, |
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marihuana, or a controlled substance. |
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(b) A parent or guardian of a student younger than 17 years |
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of age may request in writing that the school perform a nonintrusive |
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drug or alcohol test on the student under this section if the parent |
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or guardian reasonably believes that the student is using alcohol, |
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marihuana, or a controlled substance. |
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(c) A school that receives the written consent of a parent |
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or guardian under Subsection (a) or a request in writing from a |
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parent or guardian under Subsection (b) may perform a nonintrusive |
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drug or alcohol test on the student in accordance with the rules and |
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procedures adopted by the board of trustees of the district or |
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governing body of the private school or open-enrollment charter |
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school under Section 37.035. |
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(d) If a student tests positive in a nonintrusive drug or |
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alcohol test administered under this section, a second test must be |
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administered as soon as practicable to confirm the positive test |
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results. The principal must send all positive or negative test |
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results to the student's parent or guardian. |
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(e) A school that performs a nonintrusive drug or alcohol |
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test on a student under this section may request the student's |
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parent or guardian to reimburse the school for the cost of the drug |
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or alcohol test. |
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(f) A school may seek any available federal, state, or |
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private funds, grants, or donations to defray costs of performing |
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nonintrusive drug or alcohol tests under this section. |
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(g) This section does not prohibit or otherwise affect any |
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other drug or alcohol testing program conducted by or on behalf of a |
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school or school district. |
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(h) A student may not be administered a nonintrusive drug or |
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alcohol test under this section more than one time in a month. |
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Sec. 37.035. RULES REGARDING PARENTAL-CONSENT SEARCH AND |
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DRUG OR ALCOHOL TEST. (a) The board of trustees of a school |
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district or governing body of a private school or open-enrollment |
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charter school that operates a pilot program under this subchapter |
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shall adopt rules concerning searches conducted under Section |
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37.033 and drug or alcohol tests administered under Section 37.034. |
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(b) In adopting rules under this section, the board or |
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governing body shall: |
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(1) develop a written consent form to be used by the |
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parent or guardian to consent to a search or drug or alcohol test; |
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(2) provide that in the case where only one parent or |
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guardian has authority to consent, pursuant to a custody agreement |
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or any applicable court order, the consent of that parent is |
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sufficient for purposes of this subchapter; |
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(3) specify that a principal of a school operating a |
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pilot program under this subchapter may designate an appropriate |
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staff member to conduct searches or drug or alcohol tests under this |
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subchapter; and |
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(4) ensure that a search or drug or alcohol test |
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conducted under the pilot program operated under this subchapter |
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does not result in the student's involvement in the criminal |
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justice system, including by receiving a citation or by being |
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confined. |
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Sec. 37.036. DISCIPLINE FOR VIOLATIONS OF LAW OR SCHOOL |
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POLICY DISCOVERED IN PARENTAL-CONSENT SEARCH OR DRUG OR ALCOHOL |
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TESTING. (a) Notwithstanding Section 37.007(b) and except as |
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otherwise provided by Subsection (c), a student found to be in |
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violation of law or school policy based on a parental-consent |
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search or a parental-consent drug or alcohol test conducted under a |
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pilot program operated under this subchapter may not be expelled |
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for the violation unless the student fails to comply with any |
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requirements imposed under Subsection (b). |
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(b) A student found to be in violation of law or school |
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policy based on a parental-consent search or a parental-consent |
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drug or alcohol test conducted under a pilot program operated under |
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this subchapter may, with the consent of the student's parent or |
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guardian, be subject to compulsory attendance at a substance abuse |
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treatment program established under Section 37.038. |
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(c) If after a search conducted under Section 37.033 a |
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student is found in possession of alcohol, marihuana, or a |
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controlled substance for the second or subsequent time during a |
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one-year period, or if the student tests positive for drugs or |
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alcohol under Section 37.034 for the second or subsequent time |
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during a one-year period, notwithstanding rules adopted under |
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Section 37.035, the student is subject to all disciplinary measures |
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according to school policy or other applicable law. |
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Sec. 37.037. SCHOOL JUVENILE CASE MANAGER. (a) The board of |
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trustees of a school district or governing body of a private school |
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or an open-enrollment charter school operating a pilot program |
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under this subchapter may employ a juvenile case manager in the |
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manner provided by Article 45.056, Code of Criminal Procedure, to |
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provide services in a special juvenile docket composed of those |
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juvenile cases arising from a parental-consent search or a |
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parental-consent drug or alcohol test conducted under a pilot |
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program operated under this subchapter. |
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(b) If a private school, school district, or charter school |
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operating a pilot program under this subchapter is within the |
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jurisdiction of a designated juvenile court in the county and the |
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district or school employs a school juvenile case manager, the case |
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manager shall assist the court in administering the special |
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juvenile docket described by Subsection (a). |
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(c) In presiding over the special juvenile docket described |
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by Subsection (a), the judge of the designated juvenile court in the |
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county shall coordinate with the school juvenile case manager and |
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the private school, school district, or charter school to provide |
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alternative juvenile discipline solutions that do not involve the |
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student's involvement in the criminal justice system. |
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(d) A designated juvenile court in the county may coordinate |
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with a school juvenile case manager employed by a private school, |
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school district, or charter school and the private school, school |
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district, or charter school to establish a special juvenile |
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disciplinary drug-intervention program for students of the private |
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school, school district, or charter school whose juvenile cases are |
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in the special juvenile docket described by Subsection (a). |
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Sec. 37.038. SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT PROGRAM. The board |
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of trustees of a school district or governing body of an |
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open-enrollment charter school or private school that operates a |
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pilot program under this subchapter may cooperate with the juvenile |
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board of the county, the local juvenile probation department, or |
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any designated juvenile court in the county in establishing a |
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substance abuse treatment program for students who violate a law or |
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school policy by engaging in prohibited conduct related to the use, |
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possession, or delivery of alcohol, marihuana, or a controlled |
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substance. |
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Sec. 37.039. DEFERRAL OF ADJUDICATION AND DISMISSAL OF |
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CERTAIN CASES ON COMPLETION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT PROGRAM. |
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(a) This section applies only to a child who, based on evidence |
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obtained pursuant to a parental-consent search or a |
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parental-consent drug or alcohol test conducted under a pilot |
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program operated under this subchapter, is alleged to have engaged |
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in conduct indicating a need for supervision or delinquent conduct. |
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(b) A juvenile court may defer adjudication proceedings |
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under Section 54.03, Family Code, for not more than 180 days if a |
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child described by Subsection (a) presents to the court a written |
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request to attend a substance abuse treatment program under Section |
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37.038. |
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(c) A child for whom adjudication proceedings are deferred |
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under Subsection (b) shall complete the substance abuse treatment |
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program not later than the 90th day after the date the hearing to |
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determine punishment is held or the last day of the deferral period, |
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whichever date is earlier. The court shall dismiss the case with |
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prejudice at the time the child presents satisfactory evidence that |
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the child has successfully completed the substance abuse treatment |
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program. |
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(d) A case dismissed under this section may not be part of |
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the child's records for any purpose. |
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Sec. 37.040. REPORT. The board of trustees of a school |
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district or the governing body of an open-enrollment charter school |
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that operates an alternative discipline pilot program under this |
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subchapter shall, not later than December 1, 2014, submit a report |
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containing the board or governing body's conclusions regarding |
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whether the pilot program reduced drug or alcohol use and related |
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involvement in the criminal justice system among students to: |
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(1) the governor; |
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(2) the lieutenant governor; |
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(3) the speaker of the house of representatives; and |
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(4) the presiding officers of the standing committees |
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of the senate and house of representatives having primary |
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jurisdiction over education issues and over criminal justice |
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issues. |
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Sec. 37.041. CONCLUSION; EXPIRATION. A pilot program |
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operated under this subchapter concludes and this subchapter |
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expires June 15, 2015. |
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SECTION 2. Section 58.003, Family Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (c-7), (d-1), and (d-2) to read as follows: |
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(c-7) This subsection applies only to a child who, based on |
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evidence obtained pursuant to a parental-consent search or a |
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parental-consent drug or alcohol test conducted under a pilot |
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program operated under Subchapter A-1, Chapter 37, Education Code, |
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is adjudicated to have engaged in conduct indicating a need for |
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supervision or delinquent conduct. Notwithstanding Subsections |
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(a) and (c) and subject to Subsection (b), a juvenile court may |
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order the sealing of records concerning a child described by this |
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subsection if the child successfully completed a program described |
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by Section 37.038, Education Code, or graduated from high school or |
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received the child's certificate of high school equivalency. The |
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court may: |
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(1) order the sealing of the records immediately and |
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without a hearing; or |
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(2) hold a hearing to determine whether to seal the |
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records. |
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(d-1) The court may grant the relief authorized under |
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Subsection (c-7) at any time after the child satisfies the |
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requirements of that subsection. If the child is referred to the |
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juvenile court for conduct constituting any offense and at the |
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adjudication hearing the child is found to be not guilty of each |
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offense alleged, the court shall immediately and without any |
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additional hearing order the sealing of all files and records |
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relating to the case. |
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(d-2) This subsection and Subsections (c-7) and (d-1) |
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expire June 15, 2015. |
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SECTION 3. Notwithstanding Section 58.003(d-2), Family |
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Code, as added by this Act, on or after June 15, 2015, a court may |
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order the sealing of juvenile court records of a child entitled |
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before that date to the sealing of records under Section |
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58.003(c-7), Family Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. 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, 2013. |