Sec. 33.006. SCHOOL COUNSELORS; GENERAL DUTIES. (a) The primary responsibility of a school counselor is to counsel students to fully develop each student's academic, career, personal, and social abilities.

(b) In addition to a school counselor's responsibility under Subsection (a), the school counselor shall:

(1) participate in planning, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive developmental guidance program to serve all students and to address the special needs of students:

(A) who are at risk of dropping out of school, becoming substance abusers, participating in gang activity, or committing suicide;

(B) who are in need of modified instructional strategies; or

(C) who are gifted and talented, with emphasis on identifying and serving gifted and talented students who are educationally disadvantaged;

(2) consult with a student's parent or guardian and make referrals as appropriate in consultation with the student's parent or guardian;

(3) consult with school staff, parents, and other community members to help them increase the effectiveness of student education and promote student success;

(4) coordinate people and resources in the school, home, and community;

(5) with the assistance of school staff, interpret standardized test results and other assessment data that help a student make educational and career plans;

(6) deliver classroom guidance activities or serve as a consultant to teachers conducting lessons based on the school's guidance curriculum; and

(7) serve as an impartial, nonreporting resource for interpersonal conflicts and discord involving two or more students, including accusations of bullying under Section 37.0832.

(c) Nothing in Subsection (b)(7) exempts a school counselor from any mandatory reporting requirements imposed by other provisions of law.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1487, Sec. 3, eff. June 17, 2001.

Amended by:

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 443 (S.B. 715), Sec. 30, eff. June 14, 2013.

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 443 (S.B. 715), Sec. 31, eff. June 14, 2013.

Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 522 (S.B. 179), Sec. 10, eff. September 1, 2017.