By:AASeliger

S.B.ANo.A149

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT

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relating to the creation of individual graduation committees for

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certain high school students.

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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

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SECTIONA1.AASection 39.025(a), Education Code, is amended to

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read as follows:

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(a)AAThe commissioner shall adopt rules requiring a student

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in the foundation high school program under Section 28.025 to be

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administered each end-of-course assessment instrument listed in

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Section 39.023(c).

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that

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commissioner

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assessment instrument listed under Section 39.023(c).

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scale score required under this subsection that is not based on a

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100-point scale scoring system, the commissioner shall provide for

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conversion, in accordance with commissioner rule, of the scale

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score to an equivalent score based on a 100-point scale scoring

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system.

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student has performed satisfactorily on end-of-course assessment

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instruments in the manner provided under this subsection or has

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qualified for graduation under Section 39.0251.

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does not require a student to demonstrate readiness to enroll in an

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institution of higher education.

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indicates

A student is required to achieve a scale score

satisfactory

under

Section

performance,
39.0241(a),

as
on

determined
each

by

the

end-of-course
For each

A student may not receive a high school diploma until the

SECTIONA2.AASubchapter

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B,

Chapter

1

39,

This subsection

Education

Code,

is

 S.B.ANo.A149
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amended by adding Section 39.0251 to read as follows:
Sec.A39.0251.AAINDIVIDUAL

2

GRADUATION

COMMITTEE.

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(a)AAExcept as provided by Subsection (b), for each student who

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fails

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instrument a second time, the school district or open-enrollment

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charter

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individual graduation committee to determine whether the student

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qualifies to graduate under this section.

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composed of:

to

perform

school

satisfactorily

that

the

on

student

an

end-of-course

attends

shall

establish

(1)AAthe principal or principal ’s designee;

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(2)AAthe

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of

the

an

The committee shall be

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teacher

assessment

course

of

the

assessment

instrument on which the student failed to perform satisfactorily;

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(3)AAthe student ’s school counselor; and

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(4)AAthe student ’s parent or guardian.

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(b)AAIf

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end-of-course

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second

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Success Initiative (TSI) diagnostic assessment for that subject,

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the student shall be considered to have performed satisfactorily on

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that end-of-course assessment instrument and shall receive credit

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for the end-of-course assessment for that course.

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qualifies to graduate after receiving credit for an end-of-course

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assessment

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graduation committee shall not be established for the student.

time

a

student

fails

assessment

but

receives

instrument

for
a

to

either

score

under

perform

of

this

satisfactorily

Algebra

I

or

English

"proficient"

subsection,

on

on

the

II

an
a

Texas

If a student

an

individual

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(c)AAThe commissioner shall adopt rules to determine who may

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serve as an alternative committee member in the event that a person

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described by Subsection (a) is unable to serve.

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The superintendent

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of each school district and the chief administrative officer of

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each open-enrollment charter school shall establish procedures for

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the convening of individual graduation committees.

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(d)AAThe school district or open-enrollment charter school

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shall notify the student ’s parent or guardian of the time and place

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for convening the individual graduation committee and the purpose

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of the committee.

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by regular mail, be clear and easy to understand, and be written in

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English or in the parent or guardian ’s native language.

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The notice must be provided either in person or

(e)AAThe individual graduation committee shall compute the

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student ’s

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subject.

The Subject Core Composite Course Average of a subject is

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computed

by

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completed within each core subject.

Subject

Core

averaging

Composite

the

grades

Course

of

Average

each

for

course

each

the

core

student

The core subjects are:

(1)AAEnglish, which consists of:

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(A)AAEnglish I;

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(B)AAEnglish II;

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(C)AAEnglish III; and

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(D)AAEnglish IV or an approved substitute;
(2)AAmathematics, which consists of:

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(A)AAAlgebra I;

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(B)AAgeometry;

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(C)AAAlgebra II, a course equivalent to Algebra

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II, or math models; and

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(D)AAan approved fourth year math course;

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(3)AAscience, which consists of either:

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(A)AAcourses in:

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(i)AAbiology;

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(ii)AAchemistry; and

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(iii)AAphysics or an approved substitute; or
(B)AAcourses in:

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(i)AAbiology; and

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(ii)AAintegrated physics and chemistry; and
(4)AAsocial studies, which consists of:

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(A)AAworld geography;

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(B)AAworld history;

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(C)AAUnited States history; and

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(D)AAeither:

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(i)AAgovernment; or

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(ii)AAeconomics.

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(f)AAA student is qualified to graduate if the student ’s

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Subject

Core

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described by Subsection (e) is 70 percent or greater, the student

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meets the requirements of Subsection (j), and the student satisfies

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at least three of the following criteria:

Course

Average

each

core

subject

course in:

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(A)AAEnglish;

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(B)AAmathematics;

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(C)AAscience; or

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(D)AAsocial studies;

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for

(1)AAthe student successfully completes a dual credit

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20

Composite

(2)AAthe

student

successfully

readiness standards on the:

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(A)AAACT;

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achieves

college

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(B)AASAT;

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(C)AAPSAT;

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(D)AAACT Aspire; or

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(E)AATexas

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readiness

benchmarks

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Coordinating Board;

Success

prescribed

Initiative

by

the

Texas

(TSI)
Higher

college
Education

(3)AAthe student successfully completes a high school

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8

advanced

placement,

pre-advanced

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baccalaureate program course in:

placement,

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(A)AAEnglish;

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(B)AAmathematics;

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(C)AAscience; or

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(D)AAsocial studies;

or

international

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(4)AAthe student receives a rating of "advanced high"

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on the most recent high school administration of the Texas English

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Language Proficiency Assessment System;
(5)AAthe student successfully completes three foreign

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language courses;
(6)AAthe

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20

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a

career

and

technical

(7)AAthe student receives a score of 50 or greater on a
College-Level Examination Program examination; or

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receives

education certification;

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student

(8)AAthe student successfully completes a transitional
college course in reading or mathematics.
(g)AAIf

the

student

does

not

qualify

to

graduate

under

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Subsections (e) and (f), the individual graduation committee may

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recommend additional measures by which the student may qualify,

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including:

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(1)AAadditional remediation;

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(2)AAthe

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completion

of

a

project

related

to

the

relevant subject area; or

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(3)AAthe preparation of a portfolio of the student ’s

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work in the relevant subject area, including work samples from the

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course

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assessment instrument.

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for

which

(h)AAIn

the

student

determining

did

not

whether

pass

a

the

student

end-of-course

described

by

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Subsection (g) is qualified to graduate, the individual graduation

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committee shall consider:
(1)AAthe

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recommendation

of

student ’s

the

teacher

each relevant course;

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(2)AAthe student ’s grade in each relevant course;

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(3)AAthe

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assessment

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satisfactorily;

student ’s

instrument

(4)AAthe

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in

on

score

which

student ’s

the

on

the

student

performance

end-of-course

failed

on

to

any

perform

additional

measures recommended by the committee under Subsection (g);
(5)AAthe

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number

of

hours

of

remediation

that

the

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student has already attended, including attendance of a college

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preparatory

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applicable;

course

required

under

Section

39.025(b-2),

if

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(6)AAthe student ’s school attendance rate;

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(7)AAthe student ’s satisfaction of the Texas Success

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Initiative (TSI) college readiness benchmarks prescribed by the

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Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board;

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student ’s

(8)AAthe

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overall

preparedness

for

postsecondary success; and
(9)AAany

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other

necessary

academic

information

as

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determined by the local school board or open-enrollment charter

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school, as applicable.

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(i)AAAfter considering the criteria under Subsections (h)

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and (j), the individual graduation committee may determine that the

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student is qualified to graduate.

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basis

of

the

committee ’s

A student may graduate on the

decision

only

if

the

student

has

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successfully completed all additional measures recommended by the

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committee

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unanimous.

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making a determination under this subsection.

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not create a property interest in graduation.

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committee is final and may not be appealed.

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under

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and

the

committee ’s

vote

is

The commissioner by rule shall establish a timeline for
This subsection does
The decision of a

school diploma under this section, the student must have:
(1)AAachieved an overall minimum grade point average of
2.0 on a scale of 4.0, or the equivalent; and
(2)AAreceived a passing grade in all courses required

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(g)

(j)AAIn order to be eligible to graduate and receive a high

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Subsection

for graduation.
(k)AAThe

commissioner

shall

adopt

rules

as

necessary

to

implement this section.
SECTIONA3.AAThis Act applies beginning with the 2014-2015
school year.

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SECTIONA4.AAThis 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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 S.B.ANo.A149
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.

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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

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Act takes effect September 1, 2015.

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If this