By Delisi                                              H.B. No. 911
         76R4351 CAS-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to character education programs in public schools.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
 1-5     amended by adding Section 29.903 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 29.903.  CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAM.  (a)  Each school
 1-7     district is encouraged to implement in district schools a
 1-8     comprehensive character  education program such as "Character
 1-9     Counts," "Character First! Education," or the "Keystone
1-10     Curriculum."
1-11           (b)  A character education program under this section must:
1-12                 (1)  be secular;
1-13                 (2)  stress positive character traits such as good
1-14     citizenship, honesty, responsibility, respect, patience, and
1-15     initiative;
1-16                 (3)  be taught for the entire school year;
1-17                 (4)  provide at least one hour of instruction each
1-18     week; and
1-19                 (5)  provide a curriculum that includes:
1-20                       (A)  definitions of positive character traits;
1-21                       (B)  examples of positive character traits;
1-22                       (C)  application of positive character traits in
1-23     the classroom through activities and projects; and
1-24                       (D)  praise to commend students who demonstrate
 2-1     positive character traits.
 2-2           (c)  A district that implements a character education program
 2-3     under this section shall, to the greatest extent practicable,
 2-4     incorporate the positive character traits emphasized in the program
 2-5     into the district's regular curriculum.
 2-6           (d)  A district may offer the character education program at
 2-7     one or more grade levels.
 2-8           SECTION 2.  Section 39.092(a), Education Code, is amended to
 2-9     read as follows:
2-10           (a)  The governor may present a financial award to the
2-11     schools or districts that the commissioner determines have
2-12     demonstrated the highest levels of sustained success or the
2-13     greatest improvement in achieving the education goals or to the
2-14     districts that have implemented a comprehensive character education
2-15     program that  satisfies the requirements prescribed by Section
2-16     29.903.  For each student in average daily attendance, each of
2-17     those schools or districts is entitled to an amount set for the
2-18     award for which the  school or district is selected by the
2-19     commissioner, subject to any limitation set by the commissioner on
2-20     the total amount that may be awarded to a school or district.
2-21           SECTION 3.  This Act applies beginning with the 1999-2000
2-22     school year.
2-23           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-25     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-26     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-27     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
 3-1     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
 3-2     passage, and it is so enacted.