| 1 | 1 | | 85R7634 SRS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Anchia H.B. No. 1817 |
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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 elective courses in ethnic studies for middle school |
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| 8 | 8 | | and high school students. |
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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 28, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 28.0111 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 28.0111. ELECTIVE COURSES IN ETHNIC STUDIES. (a) A |
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| 13 | 13 | | school district may offer to middle and high school students one or |
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| 14 | 14 | | more English language arts or social studies elective courses in |
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| 15 | 15 | | ethnic studies that comply with curriculum standards adopted under |
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| 16 | 16 | | Subsection (b) or (c). |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) The State Board of Education shall adopt separate |
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| 18 | 18 | | content-based curriculum standards for each of the following ethnic |
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| 19 | 19 | | studies courses: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) Mexican American studies; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (2) African American studies; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (3) Native American studies; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (4) Asian American studies. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (c) The State Board of Education may adopt separate |
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| 25 | 25 | | content-based curriculum standards for additional ethnic studies |
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| 26 | 26 | | courses not specified in Subsection (b). |
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| 27 | 27 | | (d) The curriculum standards must: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (1) include: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (A) key historical figures, events, and dates; |
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| 30 | 30 | | and |
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| 31 | 31 | | (B) information regarding the ethnic group's |
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| 32 | 32 | | contributions to society; and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) be reviewed by academic experts with knowledge in |
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| 34 | 34 | | the relevant ethnic studies field before final adoption by the |
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| 35 | 35 | | State Board of Education. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 2. The State Board of Education shall adopt |
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| 37 | 37 | | curriculum standards for ethnic studies courses as required by |
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| 38 | 38 | | Section 28.0111, Education Code, as added by this Act, not later |
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| 39 | 39 | | than the date that permits school districts to offer ethnic studies |
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| 40 | 40 | | courses that comply with the curriculum standards beginning with |
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| 41 | 41 | | the 2018-2019 school year. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 43 | 43 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 44 | 44 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 45 | 45 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 46 | 46 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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