88R10910 PRL-F

By: Paxton S.B. No. 1721

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the display of the national motto and historically significant documents to the founding of the United States in public schools and institutions of higher education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 1.004, Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 1.004. DISPLAY OF NATIONAL MOTTO AND HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT DOCUMENTS. (a) A public elementary or secondary school or an institution of higher education as defined by Section 61.003 must display in a conspicuous place in each building of the school or institution a durable poster or framed copy of the United States national motto, "In God We Trust," and the historically significant documents to the founding of the United States if the poster or framed copy meets the requirements of Subsection (b) and is:

(1) donated for display at the school or institution; or

(2) purchased from private donations and made available to the school or institution.

(a-1) In this section, "historically significant documents to the founding of the United States" means:

(1) the United States Declaration of Independence;

(2) the United States Constitution; and

(3) the Ten Commandments.

(b) A poster or framed copy [of the national motto] described by Subsection (a):

(1) must contain:

(A) the national motto, a representation of the United States flag centered under the national motto, and a representation of the state flag;

(B) one or more of the historically significant documents to the founding of the United States; or

(C) both the items described by Paragraph (A) and one or more items described by Paragraph (B); and

(2) may not depict any words, images, or other information other than the items [representations] listed in Subdivision (1).

(c) A public elementary or secondary school and an institution of higher education may accept and use private donations for the purposes of Subsection (a).

SECTION 2. 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, 2023.