By Hernandez H.B. No. 2585
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to advisory commissions for the Central Education Agency.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 12.04, Education Code, is amended to read
1-5 as follows:
1-6 Sec. 12.04. TEXTBOOK PROCLAMATIONS <PROCLAMATION
1-7 COMMITTEES>. <(a)> The State Board of Education shall issue a
1-8 proclamation of the schedule for the adoption process for a
1-9 category of textbooks and other instructional material not later
1-10 than 32 months before the date scheduled for adoptions for that
1-11 category. The board shall include in the proclamation a schedule
1-12 of the board meetings at which the adoptions may be made.
1-13 <(b) The board shall appoint a textbook proclamation
1-14 advisory committee for each of the subject areas of reading,
1-15 language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. The board
1-16 may determine the number of persons to serve on each committee.>
1-17 <(c) Each textbook proclamation advisory committee shall
1-18 make recommendations for the proclamation to the board for the
1-19 subject area assigned to that committee relating to:>
1-20 <(1) specifications for the content of textbooks,
1-21 which must be consistent with the curriculum requirements of
1-22 Section 21.101 of this code and with rules adopted under that
1-23 section; and>
2-1 <(2) criteria to be used to evaluate textbooks
2-2 submitted for consideration.>
2-3 <(d) At least a majority of the members of each textbook
2-4 proclamation advisory committee shall be classroom teachers, and
2-5 all members shall be appointed because of unusual background or
2-6 training or recognized ability as teachers in the subject fields
2-7 for which adoptions are to be made during the year of appointment.
2-8 At least one member of each textbook proclamation advisory
2-9 committee shall be knowledgeable in the field of special education.
2-10 At least two members of each textbook proclamation advisory
2-11 committee shall be persons who are not employed in the public
2-12 schools, but who are recognized for their expertise in a subject
2-13 area assigned to that committee.>
2-14 <(e) A person is not eligible for appointment to a textbook
2-15 proclamation advisory committee if, during the two years preceding
2-16 the person's appointment, the person or the person's spouse:>
2-17 <(1) is employed by or receives funds from a textbook
2-18 publishing firm or an agent representing a textbook author or a
2-19 publishing firm; or>
2-20 <(2) owns or controls, directly or indirectly, any
2-21 interest in a textbook publishing firm or an entity receiving funds
2-22 from a textbook publishing firm.>
2-23 <(f) During a person's term on a textbook proclamation
2-24 advisory committee, the person or the person's spouse may not
2-25 engage in an activity for which a person is ineligible for
3-1 appointment under Subsection (e) of this section. For two years
3-2 after the date on which the person's term expires, the person or
3-3 the person's spouse may not be employed by a textbook publishing
3-4 firm or an agent representing a textbook author or a publishing
3-5 firm.>
3-6 <(g) Each person appointed to a textbook proclamation
3-7 advisory committee shall file with the State Board of Education an
3-8 affidavit verifying that the person does not have an interest that
3-9 conflicts with the duties of the committee.>
3-10 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
3-11 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-12 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-13 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-14 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-15 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-16 passage, and it is so enacted.