SRC-JEC H.B. 575 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center H.B. 575 By: Miller (Deuell) Education 5/20/2003 Engrossed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Many Texas students graduate from public school with little knowledge of the United States' founding and historical documents. Some feel this is due to the fact that many educators are unsure about whether certain texts are allowed in schools because of recent court decisions. H.B. 575 encourages schools to teach students about U.S. historical documents by explicitly allowing educators to read or display certain historical texts in a school building. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, by adding Section 28.010, as follows: Sec. 28.010. READING FROM OR DISPLAY OF CERTAIN HISTORICAL TEXTS. Authorizes an educator at an elementary or secondary school, including an open-enrollment charter school, in order to ensure that students understand and appreciate the histories of the United States and Texas, to read from or display any of the following historical texts in the school building in which the educator is employed: (1) the United States national motto; (2) the United States national anthem; (3) the United States pledge of allegiance; (4) the preamble to the Texas Constitution; (5) the United States Declaration of Independence or the Texas Declaration of Independence; (6) the Mayflower Compact; (7) any writings, speeches, documents, or proclamations of the original signers of the United States Declaration of Independence or the Texas Declaration of Independence, presidents or vice presidents of the United States, presidents or vice presidents of the Republic of Texas, governors of Texas throughout its history, members of the women's suffrage movement, or members of the civil rights movement; (8) any published decision of the United States Supreme Court or Texas Supreme Court, including any decision related to prayer in public school; (9) any laws or resolutions passed by the United States Congress or Texas Legislature; (10) documents that acknowledge the contributions of women and people of color to the United States and Texas; (11) documents that acknowledge the contributions of Native Americans; or (12) any writing or other document that acknowledges the contributions of an individual honored by a holiday of this state. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2003.