By Ehrhardt, Naishtat, Danburg, Villarreal, H.B. No. 1296 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to a prohibition of discrimination by public educational 1-3 institutions. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 1, Education Code, is amended by adding 1-6 Section 1.0021 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 1.0021. DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED. (a) In this 1-8 section, "sexual preference" has the following meaning only: a 1-9 preference for heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality. 1-10 (b) A public educational institution or employee of a public 1-11 educational institution may not discriminate against a student 1-12 enrolled in the institution on account of the ethnicity, color, 1-13 gender, gender identity, sexual preference, disability, religion, 1-14 or national origin of the student or the student's parent. 1-15 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 1-16 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 1-17 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 1-18 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 1-19 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.