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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the instruction of American Sign Language in public |
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high schools. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 28.002(a) and (e), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Each school district that offers kindergarten through |
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grade 12 shall offer, as a required curriculum: |
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(1) a foundation curriculum that includes: |
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(A) English language arts; |
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(B) mathematics; |
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(C) science; and |
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(D) social studies, consisting of Texas, United |
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States, and world history, government, and geography; and |
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(2) an enrichment curriculum that includes: |
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(A) to the extent possible, subject to Subsection |
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(e), languages other than English; |
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(B) health, with emphasis on the importance of |
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proper nutrition and exercise; |
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(C) physical education; |
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(D) fine arts; |
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(E) economics, with emphasis on the free |
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enterprise system and its benefits; |
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(F) career and technology education; and |
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(G) technology applications. |
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(e) American Sign Language is a language for purposes of |
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Subsection (a)(2)(A). A public high school shall [may] offer an |
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elective course in the language, and another public school may |
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offer an elective course in the language. The required elective |
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high school course may not be offered through teleconferencing or |
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another electronic means, but must be offered through in-person |
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instruction by a teacher in the classroom. |
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SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2008-2009 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |