H.B. No. 1287
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to public school elective courses providing academic study
  of the Bible.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 28.011 to read as follows:
         Sec. 28.011.  ELECTIVE COURSES ON THE BIBLE'S HEBREW
  SCRIPTURES (OLD TESTAMENT) AND NEW TESTAMENT AND THEIR IMPACT ON
  THE HISTORY AND LITERATURE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION.  (a)  A school
  district may offer to students in grade nine or above:
               (1)  an elective course on the Hebrew Scriptures (Old
  Testament) and its impact and an elective course on the New
  Testament and its impact; or
               (2)  an elective course that combines the courses
  described by Subdivision (1).
         (b)  The purpose of a course under this section is to:
               (1)  teach students knowledge of biblical content,
  characters, poetry, and narratives that are prerequisites to
  understanding contemporary society and culture, including
  literature, art, music, mores, oratory, and public policy; and
               (2)  familiarize students with, as applicable:
                     (A)  the contents of the Hebrew Scriptures or New
  Testament;
                     (B)  the history of the Hebrew Scriptures or New
  Testament;
                     (C)  the literary style and structure of the
  Hebrew Scriptures or New Testament; and
                     (D)  the influence of the Hebrew Scriptures or New
  Testament on law, history, government, literature, art, music,
  customs, morals, values, and culture.
         (c)  A student may not be required to use a specific
  translation as the sole text of the Hebrew Scriptures or New
  Testament and may use as the basic textbook a different translation
  of the Hebrew Scriptures or New Testament from that chosen by the
  board of trustees of the student's school district or the student's
  teacher.
         (d)  A course offered under this section shall follow
  applicable law and all federal and state guidelines in maintaining
  religious neutrality and accommodating the diverse religious
  views, traditions, and perspectives of students in their school
  district. A course under this section shall not endorse, favor, or
  promote, or disfavor or show hostility toward, any particular
  religion or nonreligious faith or religious perspective. Nothing in
  this statute is intended to violate any provision of the United
  States Constitution or federal law, the Texas Constitution or any
  state law, or any rules or guidelines provided by the United States
  Department of Education or the Texas Education Agency.
         (e)  Before adopting rules identifying the essential
  knowledge and skills of a course offered under this section, the
  State Board of Education shall submit the proposed essential
  knowledge and skills to the attorney general. The attorney general
  shall review the proposed essential knowledge and skills to ensure
  that the course complies with the First Amendment to the United
  States Constitution, and the board may not adopt rules identifying
  the essential knowledge and skills of a course offered under this
  section without the attorney general's approval under this
  subsection.
         (f)  A teacher of a course offered under this section must
  hold a minimum of a High School Composite Certification in language
  arts, social studies, or history with, where practical, a minor in
  religion or biblical studies. A teacher selected to teach a course
  under this section shall successfully complete staff development
  training outlined in Section 21.459.  A course under this section
  may only be taught by a teacher who has successfully completed
  training under Section 21.459.
         (g)  For the purpose of a student earning credit for high
  school graduation, a school district shall grant one-half academic
  elective credit for satisfactory completion of a course on the
  Hebrew Scriptures, one-half academic elective credit for
  satisfactory completion of a course on the New Testament, and
  one-half academic elective credit for satisfactory completion of a
  combined course on both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New
  Testament.  This subsection applies only to a course that is taught
  in strict compliance with this section.
         (h)  If, for a particular semester, fewer than 15 students at
  a school district campus register to enroll in a course required by
  this section, the district is not required to offer the course at
  that campus for that semester.
         (i)  This section does not prohibit the board of trustees of
  a school district from offering an elective course based on the
  books of a religion other than Christianity. In determining whether
  to offer such a course, the board may consider various factors,
  including student and parent demand for such a course and the impact
  such books have had on history and culture.
         (j)  This section does not prohibit a school district from
  offering a course, other than the course authorized by this
  section, in the academic study of the Hebrew Scriptures, the New
  Testament, or both for local credit or for state elective credit
  towards high school graduation.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 21.459 to read as follows:
         Sec. 21.459.  BIBLE COURSE TRAINING.  (a)  The commissioner
  shall develop and make available training materials and other
  teacher training resources for a school district to use in
  assisting teachers of elective Bible courses in developing:
               (1)  expertise in the appropriate Bible course
  curriculum;
               (2)  understanding of applicable supreme court rulings
  and current constitutional law regarding how Bible courses are to
  be taught in public schools objectively as a part of a secular
  program of education;
               (3)  understanding of how to present the Bible in an
  objective, academic manner that neither promotes nor disparages
  religion, nor is taught from a particular sectarian point of view;
               (4)  proficiency in instructional approaches that
  present course material in a manner that respects all faiths and
  religious traditions, while favoring none; and
               (5)  expertise in how to avoid devotional content or
  proselytizing in the classroom.
         (b)  The commissioner shall develop materials and resources
  under this section in consultation with appropriate faculty members
  at institutions of higher education.
         (c)  The commissioner shall make the training materials and
  other teacher training resources required under Subsection (a)
  available to Bible course teachers through access to in-service
  training.
         (d)  The commissioner shall use funds appropriated for the
  purpose to administer this section.
         SECTION 3.  Section 28.002(a), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Each school district that offers kindergarten through
  grade 12 shall offer, as a required curriculum:
               (1)  a foundation curriculum that includes:
                     (A)  English language arts;
                     (B)  mathematics;
                     (C)  science; and
                     (D)  social studies, consisting of Texas, United
  States, and world history, government, and geography; and
               (2)  an enrichment curriculum that includes:
                     (A)  to the extent possible, languages other than
  English;
                     (B)  health, with emphasis on the importance of
  proper nutrition and exercise;
                     (C)  physical education;
                     (D)  fine arts;
                     (E)  economics, with emphasis on the free
  enterprise system and its benefits;
                     (F)  career and technology education; [and]
                     (G)  technology applications; and
                     (H)  religious literature, including the Hebrew
  Scriptures (Old Testament) and New Testament, and its impact on
  history and literature.
         SECTION 4.  The provisions of this Act pertaining to a school
  district do not take effect until the 2009-2010 school year.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 1287 was passed by the House on May 9,
  2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 139, Nays 1, 3 present, not
  voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 1287 was passed by the Senate on May
  23, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 28, Nays 2.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
  APPROVED:  _____________________
                     Date          
   
            _____________________
                   Governor