By: King S.B. No. 1049     A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to excused absences from public school for the purpose of   attending a released time course.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 25.087(b), Education Code, is amended to   read as follows:          (b)  A school district shall excuse a student from attending   school for:                (1)  the following purposes, including travel for those   purposes:                      (A)  observing religious holy days;                      (B)  attending a required court appearance;                      (C)  appearing at a governmental office to   complete paperwork required in connection with the student's   application for United States citizenship;                      (D)  taking part in a United States naturalization   oath ceremony;                      (E)  serving as an election clerk; [or]                      (F)  if the student is in the conservatorship of   the Department of Family and Protective Services, participating, as   determined and documented by the department, in an activity:                            (i)  ordered by a court under Chapter 262 or   263, Family Code, provided that it is not practicable to schedule   the participation outside of school hours; or                            (ii)  required under a service plan under   Subchapter B, Chapter 263, Family Code; or                      (G)  attending a course under Section 25.0875;                (2)  a temporary absence resulting from an appointment   with health care professionals for the student or the student's   child if the student commences classes or returns to school on the   same day of the appointment; or                (3)  an absence resulting from a serious or   life-threatening illness or related treatment that makes the   student's attendance infeasible, if the student or the student's   parent or guardian provides a certification from a physician   licensed to practice medicine in this state specifying the   student's illness and the anticipated period of the student's   absence relating to the illness or related treatment.          SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Education Code, is   amended by adding Section 25.0875 to read as follows:          Sec. 25.0875.  EXCUSED ABSENCE TO ATTEND RELEASED TIME   COURSE. (a)  In this section, "released time course" means a course   in religious instruction offered by a private entity.          (b)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school   shall, on the request of a parent or legal guardian of a student   enrolled at the district or school and subject to the policy adopted   under Subsection (c), excuse the student from attending school to   attend a released time course for at least one but not more than   five hours a week.          (c)  Each school district and open-enrollment charter school   shall adopt a policy for excusing a student enrolled at the district   or school from attending school to attend a released time course.     The policy:                (1)  must require:                      (A)  the student's parent or legal guardian to   provide written consent for the student to attend the released time   course;                      (B)  the private entity offering the released time   course to maintain attendance records and make the records   available to the district or school at which the student is   enrolled;                      (C)  the private entity, parent or legal guardian,   or student to assume responsibility for transportation, including   transportation for a student with a disability, to and from any   location at which the released time course is offered;                      (D)  the private entity to make provisions for and   assume liability for the student enrolled in the released time   course while the student is under the private entity's care; and                      (E)  the student to assume responsibility for any   schoolwork issued during the student's absence;                (2)  must prohibit:                      (A)  the district or school from using district or   school funds, excluding de minimis costs, to facilitate the   provision of a released time course; and                      (B)  the private entity from offering the released   time course on district or school property, unless permitted under   a neutral policy of equal access that allows community   organizations to use district or school property; and                (3)  may not interfere with the ability of the student's   parent or legal guardian to request or access a released time course   for the student.          SECTION 3.  Not later than January 1, 2026, each school   district and open-enrollment charter school shall adopt the excused   absence policy required by Section 25.0875, Education Code, as   added by this Act.          SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.