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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to public school elective courses providing academic study |
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of the Bible offered to certain students. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 28.011, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a) and (f) and adding Subsection (g-1) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) A school district may offer to students in grade six |
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[nine] or above: |
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(1) an elective course on the Hebrew Scriptures (Old |
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Testament) and its impact and an elective course on the New |
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Testament and its impact; or |
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(2) an elective course that combines the courses |
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described by Subdivision (1). |
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(f) A teacher of a course offered under this section must |
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hold a certificate [minimum of a High School Composite |
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Certification] in language arts, social studies, or history that |
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qualifies the teacher to teach at the grade level at which the |
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course is offered with, where practical, a minor in religion or |
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biblical studies. A teacher selected to teach a course under this |
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section shall successfully complete staff development training |
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outlined in Section 21.459. A course under this section may [only] |
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be taught only by a teacher who has successfully completed training |
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under Section 21.459. |
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(g-1) A course offered under this section to students in |
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grade six, seven, or eight may be considered as a social studies |
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course for purposes of complying with the required curriculum under |
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Section 28.002. |
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SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 3. This 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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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |