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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the inclusion of instruction about mental health, |
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suicide prevention, bullying, cyberbullying, and harassment in the |
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required curriculum for public school students. |
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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 (s), 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, economics, with emphasis on |
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the free enterprise system and its benefits, and geography; and |
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(2) an enrichment curriculum that includes: |
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(A) to the extent possible, languages other than |
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English; |
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(B) health, including mental health, with |
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emphasis on the importance of: |
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(i) proper nutrition and exercise; |
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(ii) the relationship between physical and |
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mental health; and |
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(iii) suicide prevention; |
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(C) physical education; |
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(D) fine arts; |
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(E) career and technology education; |
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(F) technology applications; |
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(G) religious literature, including the Hebrew |
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Scriptures (Old Testament) and New Testament, and its impact on |
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history and literature; and |
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(H) personal financial literacy. |
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(s) In this subsection, "bullying" and "cyberbullying" have |
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[has] the meanings [meaning] assigned by Section 37.0832, and |
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"harassment" has the meaning assigned by Section 37.001. In |
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addition to any other essential knowledge and skills the State |
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Board of Education adopts for the health curriculum under |
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Subsection (a)(2)(B), the board shall [adopt for the health
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curriculum], in consultation with the Texas School Safety Center, |
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adopt essential knowledge and skills that include: |
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(1) evidence-based practices that will effectively |
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address awareness, prevention, identification, self-defense in |
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response to, and resolution of and intervention in bullying, |
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cyberbullying, and harassment; and |
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(2) information about potential criminal consequences |
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of bullying, cyberbullying, and harassment and the requirement |
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under Section 37.0832 for each school district to adopt a bullying |
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prevention policy. |
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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. |