87R1750 GCB-F
 
  By: Miles S.B. No. 174
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the inclusion of American principles, including social
  injustice and civil rights concepts, in the public school
  curriculum and instructional materials and in training materials
  and resources for use by school districts.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Sections 21.460 and 21.461 to read as follows:
         Sec. 21.460.  TRAINING MATERIALS AND RESOURCES REGARDING
  SITUATIONS INVOLVING SOCIAL INJUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES. The
  agency shall advise school districts regarding training materials
  and resources for a school district to use in assisting educators
  to:
               (1)  recognize and respond to situations that involve
  an alleged social injustice or violation of civil rights; and
               (2)  as appropriate, consult persons with substantial,
  demonstrated experience in addressing those situations.
         Sec. 21.461.  BEST PRACTICES FOR PROMOTING STUDENT FREE
  SPEECH. The agency shall provide to school districts information
  relating to best practices for promoting the ability of all
  students to engage in free speech guaranteed by the constitution of
  the United States or this state regarding a policy issue, including
  engaging in speech through a public forum, a nonvoting position on a
  school district board of trustees, or a civic engagement program.
         SECTION 2.  Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (h-1) to read as follows:
         (h-1)  To accomplish the primary purpose stated in
  Subsection (h):
               (1)  the State Board of Education and each school
  district shall ensure that:
                     (A)  the public school curriculum emphasizes:
                           (i)  understanding the principles
  underlying the United States Constitution, including the freedom of
  speech, the rights to assemble and to petition the government for a
  redress of grievances, and other principles contained in the Bill
  of Rights;
                           (ii)  empowering students to protect
  themselves and others from injustices and to rectify those
  injustices; and
                           (iii)  understanding the benefits of
  diversity and the history of the civil rights movement; and
                     (B)  each historical event addressed in the public
  school curriculum meets a reasonable standard of historical
  significance, in relation to the limited amount of available
  instructional time; and
               (2)  a course of instruction may include the use of a
  public forum, youth dialogue, workshop, or other appropriate method
  of instruction.
         SECTION 3.  Section 31.023(a), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  For each subject and grade level, the State Board of
  Education shall adopt a list of instructional materials. The list
  includes each instructional material submitted for the subject and
  grade level that meets applicable physical specifications adopted
  by the State Board of Education, that [and] contains material that
  is consistent with the purpose and guidelines of Sections 28.002(h)
  and (h-1), and that covers [covering] at least half of the elements
  of the essential knowledge and skills of the subject and grade level
  in the student version of the instructional material, as well as in
  the teacher version of the instructional material, as determined by
  the State Board of Education under Section 28.002 and adopted under
  Section 31.024.
         SECTION 4.  (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
  section, this Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 school year.
         (b)  The changes in law made by this Act to Section
  31.023(a), Education Code, apply to instructional materials
  adopted by the State Board of Education on or after September 1,
  2022.
         SECTION 5.  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, 2021.