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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a school district's library materials and catalog, the |
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creation of local school library advisory councils, and parental |
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rights regarding public school library catalogs and access by the |
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parent's child to library materials and to affirmative defenses to |
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prosecution for certain offenses involving material or conduct that |
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is obscene or otherwise harmful to children. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 26.004(b), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) A parent is entitled to access to all written records of |
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a school district concerning the parent's child, including: |
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(1) attendance records; |
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(2) test scores; |
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(3) grades; |
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(4) disciplinary records; |
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(5) counseling records; |
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(6) psychological records; |
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(7) applications for admission; |
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(8) health and immunization information; |
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(9) teacher and school counselor evaluations; |
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(10) reports of behavioral patterns; [and] |
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(11) records relating to assistance provided for |
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learning difficulties, including information collected regarding |
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any intervention strategies used with the child; and |
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(12) records relating to school library materials the |
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child obtains from a school library. |
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SECTION 2. Chapter 26, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 26.017 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 26.017. NOTICE REGARDING SCHOOL LIBRARY MATERIALS. |
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(a) Before each school year, a school district shall provide |
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written notice to a parent of each child enrolled in the district |
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regarding the option to receive notice each time the child obtains a |
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school library material from a school library in the district. |
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(b) For each parent who elects to receive notice under |
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Subsection (a), the school district shall notify the parent by |
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e-mail each time the parent's child obtains a school library |
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material from a school library in the district. The notice must |
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include, as applicable, the title, author, genre, and return date |
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of the school library material. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 33, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 33.020 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 33.020. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Harmful material" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 43.24, Penal Code. |
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(2) "Library material" means any book, record, file, |
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or other instrument or document in a school district's library |
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catalog. The term does not include instructional material, as |
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defined by Section 31.002. |
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SECTION 4. Section 33.021, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 33.021. LIBRARY STANDARDS. (a) The Texas State |
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Library and Archives Commission[, in consultation with the State |
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Board of Education,] shall submit proposed [adopt] standards for |
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school library services to the State Board of Education for |
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approval or disapproval. |
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(b) The standards approved under Subsection (a) must |
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include a collection development policy that: |
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(1) prohibits the acquisition or retention of harmful |
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material; and |
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(2) demonstrates a commitment to compliance with the |
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Children's Internet Protection Act (Pub. L. No. 106-554), |
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including through the use of technology protection measures, as |
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defined by that Act. |
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(c) A school district shall adhere to [consider] the |
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standards approved under Subsection (a) in developing, |
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implementing, or expanding library services. |
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SECTION 5. Subchapter B, Chapter 33, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Sections 33.026, 33.027, and 33.028 to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 33.026. LOCAL SCHOOL LIBRARY ADVISORY COUNCIL. (a) |
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The board of trustees of each school district shall establish a |
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local school library advisory council to assist the district in |
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ensuring that local community values are reflected in each school |
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library catalog in the district. |
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(b) A school district must consider the recommendations of |
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the local school library advisory council before making changes to |
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a school library catalog. |
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(c) The local school library advisory council's duties |
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include recommending: |
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(1) policies and procedures for the procurement of |
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library materials consistent with local community values; |
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(2) library materials appropriate for each grade |
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level; |
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(3) if feasible, joint use agreements or strategies |
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for collaboration between the school district and local public |
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libraries and community organizations; |
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(4) the removal of any library materials that the |
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council determines to be: |
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(A) harmful material; or |
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(B) inconsistent with local community values; |
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and |
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(5) the action to be taken by the district in response |
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to a challenge received under Section 33.028. |
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(d) Any recommendation made by the local school library |
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advisory council must adhere to the library standards approved |
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under Section 33.021. |
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(e) The board of trustees shall appoint at least five |
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members to the local school library advisory council. A majority of |
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the members must be persons who are parents of students enrolled in |
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the district and who are not employed by the district. One of those |
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members shall serve as chair of the council. The board of trustees |
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may also appoint one or more persons to serve as nonvoting members |
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of the council from each of the following groups: |
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(1) classroom teachers employed by the district; |
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(2) librarians employed by the district; |
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(3) school counselors certified under Subchapter B, |
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Chapter 21, employed by the district; |
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(4) school administrators employed by the district; |
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(5) district students; |
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(6) the business community; and |
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(7) the clergy. |
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(f) The local school library advisory council shall meet at |
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least two times each year. For each meeting, the council shall: |
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(1) at least 72 hours before the meeting: |
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(A) post notice of the date, hour, place, and |
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subject of the meeting on a bulletin board in the central |
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administrative office of each campus in the school district; and |
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(B) ensure that the notice required under |
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Paragraph (A) is posted on the district's Internet website, if the |
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district has an Internet website; |
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(2) prepare and maintain minutes of the meeting that |
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state the subject and content of each deliberation and each vote, |
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order, decision, or other action taken by the council during the |
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meeting; |
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(3) make an audio or video recording of the meeting; |
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and |
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(4) not later than the 10th day after the meeting, |
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submit the minutes and audio or video recording of the meeting to |
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the district. |
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(g) As soon as practicable after receipt of the minutes and |
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audio or video recording under Subsection (f)(4), the school |
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district shall post the minutes and audio or video recording on the |
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district's Internet website, if the district has an Internet |
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website. |
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Sec. 33.027. PROCUREMENT OF LIBRARY MATERIALS. (a) The |
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board of trustees of a school district shall adopt a policy for the |
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procurement of library materials. The policy must require the |
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board to: |
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(1) approve all library materials to be procured by a |
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school library in the district, with the advice and recommendations |
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of the district's local school library advisory council established |
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under Section 33.026; |
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(2) make the list of library materials proposed to be |
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procured accessible for review by the public for at least 30 days |
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before final approval; |
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(3) approve or reject the list of library materials |
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proposed to be procured in an open meeting; and |
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(4) ensure compliance with the library standards |
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approved under Section 33.021. |
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(b) Each member of the board of trustees of a school |
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district is entitled to: |
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(1) review each list of library materials proposed to |
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be procured for a school library in the district; and |
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(2) propose changes to each list described by |
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Subdivision (1) before the board votes to approve or reject the |
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list. |
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Sec. 33.028. CHALLENGE OR APPEAL REGARDING LIBRARY |
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MATERIALS; LOCAL SCHOOL LIBRARY ADVISORY COUNCIL RECOMMENDATIONS. |
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(a) A parent of or person standing in parental relation to a |
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student enrolled in a school district or a person residing in the |
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district may submit: |
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(1) to the district a written challenge to any library |
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material in the catalog of a school library in the district using |
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the form adopted under Subsection (c); or |
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(2) to the district's board of trustees an appeal of an |
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action taken by the district in response to a written challenge |
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received under Subdivision (1). |
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(b) Not later than the fifth day after the date on which a |
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school district receives a written challenge under Subsection |
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(a)(1), the district shall provide a copy of the challenge to the |
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district's local school library advisory council established under |
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Section 33.026. The council shall make a recommendation for action |
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by the district not later than the 90th day after the date on which |
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the council receives the copy. |
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(c) The agency shall adopt and post on the agency's Internet |
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website a form to be used in making a written challenge under |
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Subsection (a)(1). Each school district shall post the form on the |
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district's Internet website, if the district has an Internet |
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website. The form shall require the person submitting the form to |
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identify how the challenged library material violates the library |
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standards approved under Section 33.021. |
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(d) In taking action on a written challenge submitted under |
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Subsection (a)(1) or an appeal under Subsection (a)(2), the board |
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of trustees of a school district shall consider: |
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(1) the advice of the district's local school library |
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advisory council; and |
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(2) whether the library material challenged under |
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Subsection (a)(1) or appealed under Subsection (a)(2) is suitable |
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for the subject and grade level for which the library material is |
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intended, including by considering: |
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(A) whether the material adheres to the library |
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standards approved under Section 33.021; and |
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(B) reviews, if any, of the material conducted by |
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academic experts specializing in the subject covered by the library |
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material or in the education of students in the subject and grade |
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level for which the library material is intended. |
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SECTION 6. Section 43.24(c), Penal Code, is amended to read |
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as follows: |
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(c) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this |
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section that the sale, distribution, or exhibition was by a person |
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having a bona fide judicial, law enforcement, or legislative |
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[scientific, educational, governmental, or other similar] |
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justification. |
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SECTION 7. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed |
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by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of |
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this section, an offense was committed before the effective date of |
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this Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date. |
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SECTION 8. Before the first day of the 2023-2024 school |
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year, the board of trustees of each school district shall: |
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(1) establish and appoint members of the local school |
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library advisory council as required by Section 33.026, Education |
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Code, as added by this Act; and |
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(2) adopt a policy for the procurement of library |
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materials as required by Section 33.027, Education Code, as added |
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by this Act. |
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SECTION 9. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 10. This Act takes effect immediately if it |
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receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each |
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house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. |
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If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate |
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effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |