By: Geren, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Campbell) H.B. No. 1291
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 2017;
May 8, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on
Education; May 16, 2017, reported adversely, with favorable
Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 11, Nays 0;
May 16, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1291 By: Lucio
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the instructional material list and supplemental
instructional materials and the inclusion of American principles in
those materials and the public school curriculum.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (h-1) to read as follows:
(h-1) To accomplish the primary purpose stated in
Subsection (h), the State Board of Education and each school
district shall ensure that:
(1) the public school curriculum emphasizes an
understanding of the principles underlying the United States form
of government, including the study of the Founding Fathers of the
United States, the Declaration of Independence, the United States
Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Federalist Papers; and
(2) each historical event addressed in the public
school curriculum meets a reasonable standard of historical
significance, in relation to the limited amount of available
instructional time.
SECTION 2. Sections 31.023(a) and (b), Education Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(a) For each subject and grade level, the State Board of
Education shall adopt a list of instructional materials. The list
includes each instructional material submitted for the subject and
grade level that meets applicable physical specifications adopted
by the State Board of Education, that [and] contains material that
is consistent with the purpose and guidelines of Sections 28.002(h)
and (h-1), and that covers [covering] at least half of the elements
of the essential knowledge and skills of the subject and grade level
in the student version of the instructional material, as well as in
the teacher version of the instructional material, as determined by
the State Board of Education under Section 28.002 and adopted under
Section 31.024.
(b) Each instructional material on the list must be:
(1) free from factual errors;
(2) suitable for the subject and grade level for which
the instructional material was submitted; and
(3) reviewed by academic experts in the subject and
grade level for which the instructional material was submitted.
SECTION 3. Section 31.035(a), Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter,
the State Board of Education may adopt supplemental instructional
materials that are not on the list adopted under Section 31.023.
The State Board of Education may adopt supplemental instructional
material under this section only if the instructional material:
(1) contains material covering one or more primary
focal points or primary topics of a subject in the required
curriculum under Section 28.002, as determined by the State Board
of Education;
(2) is not designed to serve as the sole instructional
material for a full course;
(3) meets applicable physical specifications adopted
by the State Board of Education; [and]
(4) is free from factual errors;
(5) is suitable for the subject and grade level; and
(6) is reviewed by academic experts in the subject and
grade level.
SECTION 4. (a) Except as provided by Subsections (b) and
(c) of this section, this Act applies beginning with the 2017-2018
school year.
(b) The changes in law made by this Act to Section
31.023(a), Education Code, apply to instructional materials
adopted by the State Board of Education on or after September 1,
2018.
(c) Sections 31.023(b) and 31.035(a), Education Code, as
amended by this Act, apply only to an instructional material list or
supplemental instructional material adopted on or after the
effective date of this Act. An instructional material list or
supplemental instructional material adopted before the effective
date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the
instructional material list or supplemental instructional material
was adopted, and the former law is continued in effect for that
purpose.
SECTION 5. 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, 2017.
* * * * *