85R2011 CAE-D
By: Huffines S.B. No. 605
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to procedures for the review and selection of certain
instructional materials by public school districts and
open-enrollment charter schools.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 31, Education Code, is
amended by adding Sections 31.1011 and 31.1012 to read as follows:
Sec. 31.1011. LOCAL REVIEW AND SELECTION. (a) Each board
of trustees of a school district and governing body of an
open-enrollment charter school shall adopt procedures for
selecting instructional materials.
(b) The procedures adopted under Subsection (a) must
include procedures for:
(1) providing public notice of any instructional
material scheduled for review and selection;
(2) providing public access, including electronic
access if available, to the instructional material scheduled for
review and selection; and
(3) conducting a public meeting and allowing public
comment regarding any instructional material scheduled for review
and selection.
(c) For purposes of Subsection (b)(2), the procedures
adopted must grant public access to the instructional material for
at least 30 days before the date the district or school officially
selects the instructional material.
Sec. 31.1012. ADDITIONAL LOCAL PUBLIC MEETING FOR
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL THAT INCLUDES COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
MATERIAL. (a) In this section:
(1) "Common core state standards" has the meaning
assigned by Section 28.002(b-1).
(2) "Parent" includes a person standing in parental
relation.
(b) If any instructional material selected by a school
district or open-enrollment charter school includes common core
state standards material, a parent of a student enrolled in the
district or school may request that the district or school conduct a
public meeting specifically addressing the selection of that
instructional material in addition to the public meeting required
under Section 31.1011.
(c) The board of trustees of a school district or the
governing body of an open-enrollment charter school shall schedule
the additional public meeting under this section not later than the
10th day after the date a parent requests the meeting under
Subsection (b). The district or school shall:
(1) provide public notice of the meeting;
(2) provide public access, including electronic
access if available, to the instructional material that includes
the common core state standards material; and
(3) allow public comment regarding the instructional
material that includes the common core state standards material.
(d) After a school district or open-enrollment charter
school has conducted the additional public meeting required under
this section, a parent of a student enrolled in the district or
school may request that the district or school remove the
instructional material that includes the common core state
standards material from the selected list of the district or
school.
(e) A school district or open-enrollment charter school
shall remove any instructional material that includes common core
state standards material from the selected list of the district or
school on the request of a parent under Subsection (d).
SECTION 2. 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.