By Wohlgemuth                                    H.B. No. 982

      75R3176 ESH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the posting of historical and political documents and

 1-3     symbols in public school classrooms.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 11, Education Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Section 11.164 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 11.164.  POSTING OF HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS AND SYMBOLS.

 1-8     (a)  The board of trustees of an independent school district may

 1-9     authorize a teacher or administrator to post in a public school

1-10     building:

1-11                 (1)  the national motto;

1-12                 (2)  the national anthem;

1-13                 (3)  the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United

1-14     States or of this state;

1-15                 (4)  the preamble to the state constitution;

1-16                 (5)  the Declaration of Independence;

1-17                 (6)  the Mayflower Compact;

1-18                 (7)  the writings, speeches, documents, and

1-19     proclamations of the founding fathers and presidents of the United

1-20     States;

1-21                 (8)  United States Supreme Court decisions;

1-22                 (9)  acts of the United States Congress, including the

1-23     published text of the Congressional Record; or

1-24                 (10)  an official state symbol.

 2-1           (b)  The board may not censor the content of a document

 2-2     included under Subsection (a) on the basis of a religious reference

 2-3     in the document.

 2-4           SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 1997-1998

 2-5     school year.

 2-6           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-7     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-8     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-9     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-10     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-11     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-12     passage, and it is so enacted.