By: Watson S.B. No. 291
(In the Senate - Filed December 21, 2010; January 31, 2011,
read first time and referred to Committee on Education;
April 7, 2011, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; April 7, 2011,
sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 291 By: Davis
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to an alcohol awareness component of the science
curriculum used in public schools.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subsection (r), Section 28.002, Education Code,
is amended to read as follows:
(r) The [In adopting the essential knowledge and skills for
the health curriculum under Subsection (a)(2)(B), the] State Board
of Education by rule shall require a school district or
open-enrollment charter school to provide instruction [adopt
essential knowledge and skills] that addresses [address] the
dangers, causes, consequences, signs, symptoms, and treatment of
binge drinking and alcohol poisoning to students in middle school,
junior high school, and high school. The agency shall compile a
list of evidence-based alcohol awareness programs from which a
school district or open-enrollment charter school shall choose a
program to use in the district's or school's middle school, junior
high school, and high school science [health] curriculum. A high
school shall use a program chosen under this subsection in a course
that satisfies the science curriculum requirement for graduation
under Section 28.025(b-1)(1)(A). In this subsection,
"evidence-based alcohol awareness program" means a program,
practice, or strategy that has been proven to effectively prevent
or delay alcohol use among students, as determined by evaluations
that use valid and reliable measures and that are published in
peer-reviewed journals.
SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2011-2012
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, 2011.
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