By: Whitmire S.B. No. 1792

(In the Senate - Filed March 9, 2007; March 21, 2007, read first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 23, 2007, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; April 23, 2007, sent to printer.)

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1792 By: Shapiro

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to including knowledge and skills related to personal safety among the essential knowledge and skills required for public school health courses.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by adding Subsection (q) to read as follows:

(q) The essential knowledge and skills for health courses must include, at appropriate grade levels, knowledge and skills related to personal safety and to recognizing and reporting inappropriate conduct by an adult towards a student, including inappropriate verbal comments, physical contact, photography, and online communications. In identifying essential knowledge and skills under this subsection, the State Board of Education shall consult the Texas School Safety Center in addition to the participants described by Subsection (c).

SECTION 2. Not later than March 1, 2008, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Texas School Safety Center, shall identify the knowledge and skills related to personal safety to include among the essential knowledge and skills required for health courses, as provided by Subsection (q), Section 28.002, Education Code, as added by this Act. A school district or open-enrollment charter school shall provide instruction in the knowledge and skills beginning with the 2008-2009 school year.

SECTION 3. 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.

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