BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 2026

By: Taylor

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There have been calls to provide Texas students with instruction in "informed patriotism," a term used by President Ronald Reagan in his farewell address to the nation in 1989, to prevent an "eradication of the American memory that could result, ultimately, in an erosion of the American spirit." Additionally, it has been noted that America's founding fathers had the foresight and wisdom to declare their grievances against tyrannical rule in writing, making a clear and concise argument for freedom from taxation and oppression, and that these writings make up the historical truths surrounding America's birth and preserve the firsthand struggles, triumphs, challenges, and beliefs by which our country was established. S.B. 2026 seeks to provide for the adoption of curriculum and instructional materials, including the founding documents of the United States, in public schools to develop students' civic knowledge.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 2026 amends the Education Code to require the State Board of Education (SBOE) and each public school district to require the teaching of informed American patriotism, as defined by the bill, Texas history, and the free enterprise system in the adoption of instructional materials for kindergarten through grade 12, including the founding documents of the United States. The bill requires the SBOE, in adopting state curriculum standards for the foundation curriculum in kindergarten through grade 12, to adopt, as appropriate, curriculum standards that develop each student's civic knowledge, including an understanding of the following concepts:

· the fundamental moral, political, and intellectual foundations of the American experiment in self-government;

· the history, qualities, traditions, and features of civic engagement in the United States;

· the structure, function, and processes of government institutions at the federal, state, and local levels; and

· the founding documents of the United States, including certain specified documents, which must be used by a district or open-enrollment charter school as part of the instructional materials for the related instruction.

S.B. 2026 revises the stated objectives of public education in state law to reflect educators' responsibility for cultivating in students an informed American patriotism and for leading students in a close study of the founding documents of the United States and Texas and establishes the purpose of that objective. The bill applies beginning with the 2021-2022 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.