| 1 | 1 | | 84R8195 JSL-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Burrows H.B. No. 1815 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a prohibition of school district retaliation against a |
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| 8 | 8 | | teacher for permissible teaching about the Bible. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 21, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 21.012 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 21.012. RETALIATION BASED ON BIBLE INSTRUCTION |
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| 13 | 13 | | PROHIBITED. (a) In this section, "employment action" means an |
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| 14 | 14 | | action that affects an employee's compensation, promotion, |
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| 15 | 15 | | demotion, transfer, work assignment, or performance evaluation. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (b) A school district may not suspend or terminate the |
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| 17 | 17 | | employment of a teacher or take other adverse employment action |
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| 18 | 18 | | against the teacher based on the teacher's instruction to students |
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| 19 | 19 | | about the Bible if the instruction is provided in accordance with |
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| 20 | 20 | | the United States Constitution, federal law, the Texas |
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| 21 | 21 | | Constitution, and state law. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (c) A teacher whose employment is suspended or terminated or |
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| 23 | 23 | | who is subjected to an adverse employment action in violation of |
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| 24 | 24 | | this section is entitled to: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) reinstatement to the teacher's former position or |
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| 26 | 26 | | an equivalent position; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) compensation for lost wages during the period of |
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| 28 | 28 | | suspension, termination, or other adverse employment action; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (3) reinstatement of fringe benefits and seniority |
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| 30 | 30 | | rights lost because of the suspension, termination, or other |
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| 31 | 31 | | adverse employment action; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | (4) permanent removal of any retaliatory performance |
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| 33 | 33 | | review from any personnel file maintained by the district regarding |
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| 34 | 34 | | the teacher. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 36 | 36 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 37 | 37 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 38 | 38 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 39 | 39 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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