| 1 | 1 | | By: Sanford H.B. No. 735 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to school districts, school district's employees, and |
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| 7 | 7 | | students recognition of Texas' historical celebrations. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Section 29.920 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 29.920. CELEBRATIONS. (a) A school district, |
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| 12 | 12 | | employees of a school district, and students may educate students |
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| 13 | 13 | | about the history of traditional celebrations. School districts, |
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| 14 | 14 | | employees of a school district, and students are allowed to display |
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| 15 | 15 | | references or quote versus from religious texts which are |
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| 16 | 16 | | celebrated during time of historic and/or optional holidays |
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| 17 | 17 | | recognized by the Texas government in Government Code, Title 6., |
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| 18 | 18 | | Chapter 662. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) School districts, district staff, and students are |
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| 20 | 20 | | allowed to display references or quotes from texts which celebrate |
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| 21 | 21 | | winter holidays recognized by the Texas government in Chapter 662, |
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| 22 | 22 | | Government Code and may offer traditional greetings regarding the |
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| 23 | 23 | | celebrations, including: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) "Merry Christmas"; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) "Happy Hanukkah"; and |
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| 26 | 26 | | (3) "happy holidays." |
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| 27 | 27 | | (c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), a school district |
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| 28 | 28 | | may display on school property scenes or symbols associated with |
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| 29 | 29 | | traditional winter celebrations, including a menorah or a Christmas |
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| 30 | 30 | | image such as a nativity scene or Christmas tree, if the display |
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| 31 | 31 | | includes a scene or symbol of: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (1) more than one religion; or |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) one religion and at least one secular scene or |
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| 34 | 34 | | symbol. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (d) A display relating to a traditional winter celebration |
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| 36 | 36 | | may not include a message that encourages adherence to a particular |
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| 37 | 37 | | religious belief. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2017-2018 |
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| 39 | 39 | | school year. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 41 | 41 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 42 | 42 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 43 | 43 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 44 | 44 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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