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House Bill 2497 |
House Author: Parker et al. |
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Effective: 9-1-21 |
Senate Sponsor: Creighton et al. |
House Bill 2497 amends the Government Code and Transportation Code to establish the 1836 Project as an advisory committee to promote patriotic education and increase awareness of the Texas values that continue to stimulate boundless prosperity across Texas. Among other provisions, the bill requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to provide funding and administrative support for the 1836 Project and requires the project to promote awareness among Texas residents of certain topics related to the history of prosperity and democratic freedom in Texas; advise the governor on the core principles of the founding of Texas and how those principles further enrich the lives of its residents; facilitate the development and implementation of the Gubernatorial 1836 Award to recognize relevant student knowledge; advise executive branch state agencies with regard to their efforts to ensure patriotic education is provided to the public at certain places important to the Texas War for Independence and the founding of Texas; and facilitate, advise on, and promote other activities to support public knowledge of and patriotic education on the Texas War for Independence and founding of Texas.
House Bill 2497 requires the 1836 Project to provide a pamphlet to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) that explains the significance of policy decisions made by the State of Texas that promote liberty and freedom for businesses and families and requires DPS to provide the pamphlet to persons who receive a driver's license and to make the pamphlet available to the public on the DPS website. The bill requires the 1836 Project to prepare and produce a written report that contains, among other items, the project's findings and recommendations and any legislative proposals and requires TEA to make that report and any other report produced by the project available to the public on the TEA website. The 1836 Project is abolished and the related bill provisions expire September 1, 2036. Implementation of a provision of the bill by TEA and DPS is mandatory only if a specific appropriation is made for that purpose.