86R4649 SOS-F
By: Miles S.B. No. 419
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the inclusion of American principles, including social
injustice and civil rights concepts, in the public school
curriculum and instructional materials and in training materials
and resources for use by school districts.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
amended by adding Sections 21.460 and 21.461 to read as follows:
Sec. 21.460. TRAINING MATERIALS AND RESOURCES REGARDING
SITUATIONS INVOLVING SOCIAL INJUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES. The
agency shall advise school districts regarding training materials
and resources for a school district to use in assisting educators
to:
(1) recognize and respond to situations that involve
an alleged social injustice or violation of civil rights; and
(2) as appropriate, consult persons with substantial,
demonstrated experience in addressing those situations.
Sec. 21.461. BEST PRACTICES FOR PROMOTING STUDENT FREE
SPEECH. The agency shall provide to school districts information
relating to best practices for promoting the ability of all
students to engage in free speech guaranteed by the constitution of
the United States or this state regarding a policy issue, including
engaging in speech through a public forum, a nonvoting position on a
school district board of trustees, or a civic engagement program.
SECTION 2. 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):
(1) the State Board of Education and each school
district shall ensure that:
(A) the public school curriculum emphasizes:
(i) understanding the principles
underlying the United States Constitution, including the freedom of
speech, the rights to assemble and to petition the government for a
redress of grievances, and other principles contained in the Bill
of Rights;
(ii) empowering students to protect
themselves and others from injustices and to rectify those
injustices; and
(iii) understanding the benefits of
diversity and the history of the civil rights movement; and
(B) 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; and
(2) a course of instruction may include the use of a
public forum, youth dialogue, workshop, or other appropriate method
of instruction.
SECTION 3. Section 31.023(a), Education Code, is 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.
SECTION 4. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
section, this Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020 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,
2020.
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, 2019.