By: West  S.B. No. 968
         (In the Senate - Filed March 5, 2015; March 10, 2015, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Education; May 5, 2015,
  reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0;
  May 5, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to a prescription drug misuse awareness component of the
  health curriculum used in public schools.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (w) to read as follows:
         (w)  In adopting the essential knowledge and skills for the
  health curriculum under Subsection (a)(2)(B), the State Board of
  Education shall adopt essential knowledge and skills that address
  the dangers, causes, consequences, signs, symptoms, and treatment
  of nonmedical use of prescription drugs.  The agency shall compile a
  list of evidence-based prescription drug misuse awareness programs
  from which a school district shall choose a program to use in the
  district's middle school, junior high school, and high school
  health curriculums.  In this subsection, an "evidence-based
  prescription drug misuse awareness program" means a program,
  practice, or strategy that has been proven to effectively prevent
  nonmedical use of prescription drugs among students, as determined
  by evaluations that use valid and reliable measures and that are
  published in peer-reviewed journals.
         SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016
  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, 2015.
 
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