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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the display of the national motto and the founding |
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documents of the United States in public schools and the inclusion |
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of an elective course on the founding principles of the United |
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States in the curriculum for public high school students. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 1.004, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 1.004. DISPLAY OF NATIONAL MOTTO AND FOUNDING |
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DOCUMENTS. (a) A public elementary or secondary school [or an |
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institution of higher education as defined by Section 61.003] must |
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display in a conspicuous place in each building of the school [or |
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institution] a durable poster or framed copy of the United States |
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national motto, "In God We Trust," and the founding documents of the |
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United States if the poster or framed copy meets the requirements of |
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Subsection (b) and is: |
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(1) donated for display at the school [or |
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institution]; or |
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(2) purchased from private donations and made |
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available to the school [or institution]. |
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(a-1) In this section, "founding documents of the United |
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States" means: |
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(1) the United States Declaration of Independence; |
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(2) the United States Constitution; and |
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(3) Essays 10 and 57 of the Federalist Papers. |
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(b) A poster or framed copy [of the national motto] |
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described by Subsection (a): |
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(1) must contain: |
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(A) the national motto, a representation of the |
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United States flag centered under the national motto, and a |
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representation of the state flag; |
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(B) one or more of the founding documents of the |
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United States; or |
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(C) both the items described by Paragraph (A) and |
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one or more items described by Paragraph (B); and |
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(2) may not depict any words, images, or other |
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information other than the items [representations] listed in |
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Subdivision (1). |
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(c) A public elementary or secondary school [and an |
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institution of higher education] may accept and use private |
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donations for the purposes of Subsection (a). |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 28.0111 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 28.0111. FOUNDING PRINCIPLES ELECTIVE. (a) Each |
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school district and open-enrollment charter school that offers a |
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high school program shall provide an elective course on the |
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founding principles of the United States that meets the |
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requirements for a one-half elective credit under Section 28.025. |
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(b) The course must focus on the principles underlying the |
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United States form of government, the Declaration of Independence, |
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the United States Constitution, the Federalist Papers, and the |
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writings of the founding fathers of the United States. |
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SECTION 3. Section 28.0111, Education Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies beginning with the 2024-2025 school year. |
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SECTION 4. 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, 2023. |