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the United States' founding and historical documents.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encourages schools to teach students about U.S. historical documents by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.