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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the inclusion of American principles, including social |
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injustice and civil rights concepts, in the public school |
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curriculum and instructional materials and in training materials |
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and resources for use by school districts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Sections 21.460 and 21.461 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 21.460. TRAINING MATERIALS AND RESOURCES REGARDING |
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SITUATIONS INVOLVING SOCIAL INJUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES. The |
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agency shall advise school districts regarding training materials |
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and resources for a school district to use in assisting educators |
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to: |
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(1) recognize and respond to situations that involve |
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an alleged social injustice or violation of civil rights; and |
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(2) as appropriate, consult persons with substantial, |
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demonstrated experience in addressing those situations. |
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Sec. 21.461. BEST PRACTICES FOR PROMOTING STUDENT FREE |
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SPEECH. The agency shall provide to school districts information |
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relating to best practices for promoting the ability of all |
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students to engage in free speech guaranteed by the constitution of |
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the United States or this state regarding a policy issue, including |
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engaging in speech through a public forum, a nonvoting position on a |
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school district board of trustees, or a civic engagement program. |
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SECTION 2. Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (h-1) to read as follows: |
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(h-1) To accomplish the primary purpose stated in |
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Subsection (h): |
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(1) the State Board of Education and each school |
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district shall ensure that: |
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(A) the public school curriculum emphasizes: |
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(i) understanding the principles |
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underlying the United States Constitution, including the freedom of |
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speech, the rights to assemble and to petition the government for a |
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redress of grievances, and other principles contained in the Bill |
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of Rights; |
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(ii) empowering students to protect |
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themselves and others from injustices and to rectify those |
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injustices; and |
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(iii) understanding the benefits of |
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diversity and the history of the civil rights movement; and |
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(B) each historical event addressed in the public |
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school curriculum meets a reasonable standard of historical |
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significance, in relation to the limited amount of available |
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instructional time; and |
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(2) a course of instruction may include the use of a |
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public forum, youth dialogue, workshop, or other appropriate method |
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of instruction. |
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SECTION 3. Section 31.023(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) For each subject and grade level, the State Board of |
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Education shall adopt a list of instructional materials. The list |
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includes each instructional material submitted for the subject and |
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grade level that meets applicable physical specifications adopted |
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by the State Board of Education, that [and] contains material that |
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is consistent with the purpose and guidelines of Sections 28.002(h) |
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and (h-1), and that covers [covering] at least half of the elements |
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of the essential knowledge and skills of the subject and grade level |
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in the student version of the instructional material, as well as in |
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the teacher version of the instructional material, as determined by |
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the State Board of Education under Section 28.002 and adopted under |
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Section 31.024. |
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SECTION 4. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this |
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section, this Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 school year. |
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(b) The changes in law made by this Act to Section |
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31.023(a), Education Code, apply to instructional materials |
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adopted by the State Board of Education on or after September 1, |
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2022. |
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SECTION 5. 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, 2021. |