Relating to the required number of minutes of instructional time to be provided by a juvenile justice alternative education program.

SB 301 requires Texas juvenile justice alternative education programs to provide at least 43,200 minutes (equivalent to seven hours daily for 180 days) of instructional time each school year. This applies directly to programs serving youth in the juvenile justice system, with an exception allowing waivers from the Texas Juvenile Justice Department under specific conditions. Programs may request waivers for fewer instructional minutes, but the department cannot grant waivers exceeding the highest number of days waived for any school district served by the program during the same year. The law takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year.