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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of a civic education project fund for |
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supporting student civic education projects and educator |
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professional development related to those projects. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 29.919 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 29.919. CIVIC EDUCATION PROJECT FUND. (a) In this |
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section: |
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(1) "Civic education project" means a project that |
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includes the concepts of civic engagement and the rights and |
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responsibilities of citizenship and may combine out-of-school |
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service experience with academic study. |
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(2) "Fund" means the civic education project fund. |
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(b) The civic education project fund is an account in the |
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general revenue fund administered by the commissioner. |
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(c) The fund consists of: |
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(1) gifts, grants, or donations to the fund; and |
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(2) money appropriated, credited, or transferred to |
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the fund by or at the direction of the legislature. |
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(d) The fund is established for the purpose of: |
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(1) providing public school students enrolled in the |
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fourth or a higher grade who are economically disadvantaged, as |
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determined by the commissioner, the opportunity to complete a civic |
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education project; and |
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(2) supporting educator professional development to |
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assist educators in preparing students described by Subdivision (1) |
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to successfully complete a civic education project. |
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(e) Money in the fund may be used only as provided by this |
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section. |
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(f) In allocating money from the fund, the commissioner may |
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give priority to a school district in which at least 40 percent of |
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the students enrolled in the district on September 1 of the school |
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year are economically disadvantaged, as determined by the |
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commissioner. |
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(g) The commissioner may adopt rules to implement this |
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section. |
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SECTION 2. The fund established under Section 29.919, |
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Education Code, as added by this Act, may be used for the purposes |
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described by Subsection (d) of that section beginning with the |
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2020-2021 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. |