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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the essential knowledge and skills of the public school |
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foundational curriculum for civics education and social studies. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 28.002(h-1) and (h-2), Education Code, |
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are amended to read as follows: |
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(h-1) In adopting the essential knowledge and skills for the |
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foundation curriculum under Subsection (a)(1), the State Board of |
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Education shall, as appropriate, adopt essential knowledge and |
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skills that develop each student's civic knowledge, including an |
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understanding of: |
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(1) the fundamental moral, political, and |
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intellectual foundations of the American experiment in |
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self-government; |
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(2) the history, qualities, traditions, and features |
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of civic engagement in the United States; |
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(3) the structure, organization, function, and |
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processes of government institutions at the federal, state, and |
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local levels; and |
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(4) the founding documents of the United States, |
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including: |
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(A) the entirety of the Declaration of |
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Independence; |
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(B) the entirety of the United States |
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Constitution; |
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(C) the Federalist Papers, including the |
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entirety of Essays 10 [and] 51, and 78; |
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(D) excerpts from Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. 137 |
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(1803); |
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(E) excerpts from Alexis de Tocqueville's |
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Democracy in America; |
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(F) [(E)] the transcript of the first |
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Lincoln-Douglas debate; |
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(G) [(F)] the writings of the founding fathers of |
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the United States; |
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(H) [(G)] the entirety of Frederick Douglass's |
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speeches "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro" and "What the |
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Black Man Wants"; and |
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(I) [(H)] the entirety of Martin Luther King |
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Jr.'s speech "I Have a Dream." |
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(h-2) In adopting the essential knowledge and skills for the |
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social studies curriculum for each grade level from kindergarten |
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through grade 12, the State Board of Education shall adopt |
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essential knowledge and skills that develop each student's civic |
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knowledge, including: |
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(1) an understanding of: |
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(A) the fundamental moral, political, |
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entrepreneurial, and intellectual foundations of the American |
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experiment in self-government; |
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(B) the history, qualities, traditions, and |
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features of civic engagement in the United States; |
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(C) the structure, organization, function, and |
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processes of government institutions at the federal, state, and |
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local levels, with an emphasis on: |
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(i) the structure of the federal court |
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system and the court system of this state; |
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(ii) the role the judiciary, as a co-equal |
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branch of government, plays in providing checks and balances on |
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governmental power; |
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(iii) the selection of judicial |
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officeholders within the federal and state judicial systems, with |
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special consideration given to state and local officeholders of |
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this state; |
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(iv) the processing and flow of cases at all |
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court levels in this state; |
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(v) the role judges and juries play in the |
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criminal and civil justice systems; and |
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(vi) the sharing of governance between the |
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federal and state governments in a federalist system and the |
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interplay between the judicial examination of legal issues at the |
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federal and state level; and |
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(D) the founding documents of the United States; |
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(2) the ability to: |
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(A) analyze and determine the reliability of |
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information sources; |
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(B) formulate and articulate reasoned positions; |
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(C) understand the manner in which local, state, |
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and federal government works and operates through the use of |
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simulations and models of governmental and democratic processes; |
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(D) actively listen and engage in civil |
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discourse, including discourse with those with different |
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viewpoints; and |
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(E) participate as a citizen in a constitutional |
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democracy by voting; and |
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(3) an appreciation of: |
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(A) the importance and responsibility of |
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participating in civic life; |
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(B) a commitment to the United States and its |
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form of government; and |
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(C) a commitment to free speech and civil |
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discourse. |
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SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 3. 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. |