By:  Carona                                             H.B. No. 13
       73R883 MLM-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the posting of historical and political documents in
    1-3  public school classrooms.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
    1-6  amended by adding Section 21.938 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 21.938.  POSTING OF HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS.  (a)  A school
    1-8  board may authorize a teacher or administrator to post in a public
    1-9  school building:
   1-10              (1)  the national motto;
   1-11              (2)  the national anthem;
   1-12              (3)  the pledge of allegiance;
   1-13              (4)  the preamble to the state constitution;
   1-14              (5)  the Declaration of Independence;
   1-15              (6)  the Mayflower Compact;
   1-16              (7)  the writings, speeches, documents, and
   1-17  proclamations of the founding fathers and presidents of the United
   1-18  States;
   1-19              (8)  United States Supreme Court decisions; or
   1-20              (9)  acts of the United States Congress, including the
   1-21  published text of the Congressional Record.
   1-22        (b)  A school board may not censor the content of a document
   1-23  included under Subsection (a) of this section on the basis of a
   1-24  religious reference in the document.
    2-1        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
    2-2        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-3  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-4  emergency   and   an   imperative   public   necessity   that   the
    2-5  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-6  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.