85R12533 MK-F     By: Huffines S.B. No. 1280       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the minimum amount of student instruction required to   be provided by school districts.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 25.081, Education Code, is amended by   amending Subsections (a), (b), (c), and (e) and adding Subsection   (a-1) to read as follows:          (a)  Except as authorized under Subsection (b) of this   section, Section 25.084, or Section 29.0821, for each school year   each school district must operate so that the district provides for   at least, at the choice of the district:                (1)  75,600 minutes of instruction, including   intermissions and recesses, for students; or                (2)  180 days of instruction for students.          (a-1)  Not later than May 1 of each year, each school   district shall notify the commissioner whether the district will   comply with Subsection (a) on the basis of minutes of instruction or   days of instruction. The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary   to administer this subsection.          (b)  The commissioner may approve the instruction of   students for fewer than the number of minutes or days required under   Subsection (a) if disaster, flood, extreme weather conditions, fuel   curtailment, or another calamity causes the closing of schools.          (c)  If the commissioner does not approve reduced   instruction time under Subsection (b), a school district may add   additional minutes to the end of the district's normal school hours   or additional days to the district's normal school calendar as   necessary to compensate for minutes or days of instruction lost due   to school closures caused by disaster, flood, extreme weather   conditions, fuel curtailment, or another calamity.          (e)  For purposes of this code, a reference to a day of   instruction means a calendar day in which a student is scheduled for   and receives at least the minimum number of instructional hours   required for the student to be considered full-time for the purpose   of calculating average daily attendance under Section 42.005 [420   minutes of instruction].          SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 2017-2018   school year.          SECTION 3.  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, 2017.