Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2022 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R10393 MP-F
2	2	By: Meza H.B. No. 2022
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to a public school student's right not to participate in or
8	8	observe animal research.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 25, Education Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Section 25.904 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 25.904. STUDENT RIGHTS REGARDING ANIMAL RESEARCH. (a)
13	13	In this section, "animal research" means any instruction that
14	14	involves the use of a deceased animal or harm to a living animal,
15	15	including dissection, vivisection, incubation, capture, surgery,
16	16	or any other procedure that is invasive or may result in the
17	17	animal's death.
18	18	(b) A school district shall adopt a policy allowing students
19	19	enrolled in the district to elect not to participate in or observe
20	20	all or any part of animal research required or offered as part of
21	21	any course. The policy must:
22	22	(1) permit a student to make the election at any time;
23	23	(2) prohibit penalizing or discriminating against a
24	24	student in any manner for electing not to participate in or observe
25	25	the research; and
26	26	(3) require the teacher of a course in which animal
27	27	research is required or offered to:
28	28	(A) notify each student enrolled in the course
29	29	regarding the research and the policy adopted under this
30	30	subsection:
31	31	(i) on the first instructional day of the
32	32	course; and
33	33	(ii) if the research will occur more than 21
34	34	days after the first instructional day of the course, not later than
35	35	the 21st day before the date on which the research will occur; and
36	36	(B) provide a student who elects not to
37	37	participate in or observe the research an alternative assignment
38	38	that:
39	39	(i) does not involve harm to an animal;
40	40	(ii) provides the student with the
41	41	information the student is intended to learn from participating in
42	42	or observing the research or, if the research is required as part of
43	43	a test, assesses the student's knowledge of that information in an
44	44	alternative manner;
45	45	(iii) is substantially similar to the
46	46	research in regard to the amount of time and effort necessary for
47	47	completion; and
48	48	(iv) uses a grading method comparable to
49	49	the grading method used for the research.
50	50	(c) An alternative assignment provided under Subsection
51	51	(b)(3)(B) may involve the use of video recordings, models, books,
52	52	photographs, simulations, live observations in the wild or in a
53	53	zoo, or other tools that enable a student to learn about an animal's
54	54	anatomy, physiology, or life cycle by a method other than animal
55	55	research.
56	56	(d) Before the beginning of each school year, a school
57	57	district shall provide to each student enrolled in the district and
58	58	each teacher who teaches a course in which animal research is
59	59	required or offered written notice that includes:
60	60	(1) information regarding the policy adopted under
61	61	Subsection (b); and
62	62	(2) a list of each course in which animal research is
63	63	required or offered in that school year.
64	64	SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020
65	65	school year.
66	66	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
67	67	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
68	68	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
69	69	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
70	70	Act takes effect September 1, 2019.