By Hinojosa                                     H.B. No. 2565

      75R8797 CAS-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to certain courses that must be included in the required

 1-3     curriculum of a school district that offers kindergarten through

 1-4     grade 12.

 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  Section 28.002(a), Education Code, is amended to

 1-7     read as follows:

 1-8           (a)  Each school district that offers kindergarten through

 1-9     grade 12 shall offer, as a required curriculum:

1-10                 (1)  a foundation curriculum that includes:

1-11                       (A)  English language arts;

1-12                       (B)  mathematics;

1-13                       (C)  science, including environmental science at

1-14     the high school level;  and

1-15                       (D)  social studies, consisting of Texas, United

1-16     States, and world history, government, and geography;  and

1-17                 (2)  an enrichment curriculum that includes:

1-18                       (A)  to the extent possible, languages other than

1-19     English;

1-20                       (B)  health;

1-21                       (C)  physical education;

1-22                       (D)  fine arts;

1-23                       (E)  economics, with emphasis on the free

1-24     enterprise system and its benefits;

 2-1                       (F)  career and technology education;  and

 2-2                       (G)  technology applications.

 2-3           SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 1997-1998

 2-4     school year.

 2-5           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-6     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-7     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-8     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-9     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-10     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-11     passage, and it is so enacted.