EXCUSED ABSENCE TO ATTEND RELEASED TIME COURSE.
Tex. EDUC Code § 25.0875.
in effect(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.
Added by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1140 (S.B. 1049 ), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2025.