By Cuellar of Hidalgo                                 H.B. No. 1692
       74R5953 CAS-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to a parenting education program in public schools.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
    1-5  amended by adding Section 21.104  to read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 21.104.  PARENTING EDUCATION PROGRAM.  (a)  The board of
    1-7  trustees of each school district shall develop and implement a
    1-8  parenting education program.
    1-9        (b)  Each parenting education program:
   1-10              (1)  must include course material relating to parenting
   1-11  designed to be appropriate for and designated to be taught to
   1-12  students at specific grade levels, beginning at the first grade
   1-13  level and continuing through the 12th grade level;
   1-14              (2)  must provide for teaching:
   1-15                    (A)  the obligations of parenting, including the
   1-16  responsibilities of the mother and father to feed, clothe, and
   1-17  otherwise care for and provide for a child; and
   1-18                    (B)  the skills needed in parenting; and
   1-19              (3)  may not include sex education.
   1-20        (c)  Each district shall provide information to parents and
   1-21  guardians of students in the district concerning the content of the
   1-22  program.  A student may receive instruction in the program only if
   1-23  the student's parent or guardian gives written permission.
   1-24        (d)  For the 1996-1997 school year, each district shall offer
    2-1  the program to students in grade levels one through five.  For the
    2-2  1997-1998 school year, each district shall offer the program to
    2-3  students in grade levels one through eight.  For the 1998-1999
    2-4  school year, each district shall offer the program to students in
    2-5  grade levels one through 12.  This subsection expires September 1,
    2-6  1998.
    2-7        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-8  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-9  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-10  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-11  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-12  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-13  passage, and it is so enacted.