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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the display of the national motto and historically |
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significant documents to the founding of the United States in |
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public schools and institutions of higher education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 1.004, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 1.004. DISPLAY OF NATIONAL MOTTO AND HISTORICALLY |
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SIGNIFICANT DOCUMENTS. (a) A public elementary or secondary |
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school or an institution of higher education as defined by Section |
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61.003 must display in a conspicuous place in each building of the |
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school or institution a durable poster or framed copy of the United |
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States national motto, "In God We Trust," and the historically |
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significant documents to the founding of the United States if the |
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poster or framed copy meets the requirements of Subsection (b) and |
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is: |
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(1) donated for display at the school or institution; |
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or |
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(2) purchased from private donations and made |
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available to the school or institution. |
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(a-1) In this section, "historically significant documents |
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to the founding of the United States" means: |
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(1) the United States Declaration of Independence; |
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(2) the United States Constitution; and |
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(3) the Ten Commandments. |
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(b) A poster or framed copy [of the national motto] |
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described by Subsection (a): |
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(1) must contain: |
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(A) the national motto, a representation of the |
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United States flag centered under the national motto, and a |
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representation of the state flag; |
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(B) one or more of the historically significant |
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documents to the founding of the United States; or |
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(C) both the items described by Paragraph (A) and |
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one or more items described by Paragraph (B); and |
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(2) may not depict any words, images, or other |
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information other than the items [representations] listed in |
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Subdivision (1). |
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(c) A public elementary or secondary school and an |
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institution of higher education may accept and use private |
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donations for the purposes of Subsection (a). |
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SECTION 2. 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, 2023. |