H.B. No. 3076 AN ACT relating to a parenting and paternity awareness program used in the health curriculum for public schools. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by amending Subsection (p) and adding Subsections (p-2), (p-3), and (p-4) to read as follows: (p) The State Board of Education, in conjunction with the office of the attorney general, shall develop a parenting and paternity awareness program that a school district shall use in the district's high school health curriculum. A school district may use the program developed under this subsection in the district's middle or junior high school curriculum. At the discretion of the district, a teacher may modify the suggested sequence and pace of the program at any grade level. The program must: (1) address parenting skills and responsibilities, including child support and other legal rights and responsibilities that come with parenthood; (2) address relationship skills, including money management, communication skills, and marriage preparation; and (3) in district middle, junior high, or high schools that do not have a family violence prevention program, address skills relating to the prevention of family violence. (p-2) A school district may develop or adopt research-based programs and curriculum materials for use in conjunction with the program developed under Subsection (p). The programs and curriculum materials may provide instruction in: (1) child development; (2) parenting skills, including child abuse and neglect prevention; and (3) assertiveness skills to prevent teenage pregnancy, abusive relationships, and family violence. (p-3) The agency shall evaluate programs and curriculum materials developed under Subsection (p-2) and distribute to other school districts information regarding those programs and materials. (p-4) A student under 14 years of age may not participate in a program developed under Subsection (p) without the permission of the student's parent or person standing in parental relation to the student. SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2009-2010 school year. SECTION 3. 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, 2009. ______________________________ ______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.B. No. 3076 was passed by the House on April 29, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, 1 present, not voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to H.B. No. 3076 on May 29, 2009, and requested the appointment of a conference committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No. 3076 on May 31, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 103, Nays 37, 2 present, not voting. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.B. No. 3076 was passed by the Senate, with amendments, on May 25, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 4; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No. 3076 on May 31, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 4. ______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: __________________ Date __________________ Governor