By Elkins                                             H.B. No. 1930
         77R5139 ESH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the study of government in public schools.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by
 1-5     amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (l) to read as
 1-6     follows:
 1-7           (a)  Each school district that offers kindergarten through
 1-8     grade 12 shall offer, as a required curriculum:
 1-9                 (1)  a foundation curriculum that includes:
1-10                       (A)  English language arts;
1-11                       (B)  mathematics;
1-12                       (C)  science; and
1-13                       (D)  social studies, consisting of:
1-14                             (i)  Texas, United States, and world
1-15     history;
1-16                             (ii)  local, Texas, United States, and
1-17     world [,] government;[,] and
1-18                             (iii)  Texas, United States, and world
1-19     geography; and
1-20                 (2)  an enrichment curriculum that includes:
1-21                       (A)  to the extent possible, languages other than
1-22     English;
1-23                       (B)  health;
1-24                       (C)  physical education;
 2-1                       (D)  fine arts;
 2-2                       (E)  economics, with emphasis on the free
 2-3     enterprise system and its benefits;
 2-4                       (F)  career and technology education; and
 2-5                       (G)  technology applications.
 2-6           (l)  During a five-day period of each semester of a school
 2-7     year, a school district shall require teachers at each grade level
 2-8     to present appropriate lessons relating to the structure and
 2-9     operation of local, Texas, and United States government, including
2-10     lessons relating to the United States Constitution.
2-11           SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 2001-2002
2-12     school year.
2-13           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
2-14     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
2-15     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
2-16     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
2-17     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.