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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a public school student's right not to participate in or |
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observe animal research. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 25, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 25.904 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 25.904. STUDENT RIGHTS REGARDING ANIMAL RESEARCH. (a) |
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In this section, "animal research" means any instruction that |
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involves the use of a deceased animal or harm to a living animal, |
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including dissection, vivisection, incubation, capture, surgery, |
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or any other procedure that is invasive or may result in the |
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animal's death. |
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(b) A school district shall adopt a policy allowing students |
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enrolled in the district to elect not to participate in or observe |
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all or any part of animal research required or offered as part of |
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any course. The policy must: |
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(1) permit a student to make the election at any time; |
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(2) prohibit penalizing or discriminating against a |
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student in any manner for electing not to participate in or observe |
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the research; and |
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(3) require the teacher of a course in which animal |
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research is required or offered to: |
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(A) notify each student enrolled in the course |
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regarding the research and the policy adopted under this |
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subsection: |
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(i) on the first instructional day of the |
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course; and |
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(ii) if the research will occur more than 21 |
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days after the first instructional day of the course, not later than |
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the 21st day before the date on which the research will occur; and |
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(B) provide a student who elects not to |
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participate in or observe the research an alternative assignment |
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that: |
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(i) does not involve harm to an animal; |
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(ii) provides the student with the |
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information the student is intended to learn from participating in |
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or observing the research or, if the research is required as part of |
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a test, assesses the student's knowledge of that information in an |
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alternative manner; |
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(iii) is substantially similar to the |
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research in regard to the amount of time and effort necessary for |
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completion; and |
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(iv) uses a grading method comparable to |
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the grading method used for the research. |
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(c) An alternative assignment provided under Subsection |
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(b)(3)(B) may involve the use of video recordings, models, books, |
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photographs, simulations, live observations in the wild or in a |
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zoo, or other tools that enable a student to learn about an animal's |
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anatomy, physiology, or life cycle by a method other than animal |
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research. |
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(d) Before the beginning of each school year, a school |
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district shall provide to each student enrolled in the district and |
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each teacher who teaches a course in which animal research is |
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required or offered written notice that includes: |
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(1) information regarding the policy adopted under |
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Subsection (b); and |
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(2) a list of each course in which animal research is |
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required or offered in that school year. |
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SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020 |
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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, 2019. |