| 1 | | - | H.B. No. 2681 |
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| 1 | + | By: Wilson, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Buckingham) H.B. No. 2681 |
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| 2 | + | (In the Senate - Received from the House May 17, 2021; |
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| 3 | + | May 17, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on |
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| 4 | + | Education; May 24, 2021, reported adversely, with favorable |
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| 5 | + | Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; |
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| 6 | + | May 24, 2021, sent to printer.) |
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| 7 | + | Click here to see the committee vote |
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| 8 | + | COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 2681 By: Powell |
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| 4 | 12 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 13 | | relating to public school elective courses providing academic study |
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| 6 | 14 | | of the Bible offered to certain students. |
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| 7 | 15 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 16 | | SECTION 1. Sections 28.011(a) and (f), Education Code, are |
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| 9 | 17 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 10 | 18 | | (a) A school district may offer to students in grade six |
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| 11 | 19 | | [nine] or above: |
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| 12 | 20 | | (1) an elective course on the Hebrew Scriptures (Old |
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| 13 | 21 | | Testament) and its impact and an elective course on the New |
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| 14 | 22 | | Testament and its impact; or |
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| 15 | 23 | | (2) an elective course that combines the courses |
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| 16 | 24 | | described by Subdivision (1). |
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| 17 | 25 | | (f) A teacher of a course offered under this section must |
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| 18 | 26 | | hold a certificate [minimum of a High School Composite |
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| 19 | 27 | | Certification] in language arts, social studies, or history that |
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| 20 | 28 | | qualifies the teacher to teach at the grade level at which the |
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| 21 | 29 | | course is offered with, where practical, a minor in religion or |
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| 22 | 30 | | biblical studies. A teacher selected to teach a course under this |
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| 23 | 31 | | section shall successfully complete staff development training |
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| 24 | 32 | | outlined in Section 21.459. A course under this section may [only] |
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| 25 | 33 | | be taught only by a teacher who has successfully completed training |
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| 26 | 34 | | under Section 21.459. |
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| 27 | 35 | | SECTION 2. The State Board of Education is required to |
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| 28 | 36 | | implement Sections 28.011(a) and (f), Education Code, as amended by |
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| 29 | 37 | | this Act, only if the legislature appropriates money specifically |
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| 30 | 38 | | for that purpose. If the legislature does not appropriate money |
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| 31 | 39 | | specifically for that purpose, the State Board of Education may, |
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| 32 | 40 | | but is not required to, implement Sections 28.011(a) and (f), |
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| 33 | 41 | | Education Code, as amended by this Act, using other appropriations |
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| 34 | 42 | | available for the purpose. |
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| 35 | 43 | | SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 |
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| 36 | 44 | | school year. |
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| 37 | 45 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 38 | 46 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 39 | 47 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 40 | 48 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 41 | 49 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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| 42 | | - | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 43 | | - | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 44 | | - | I certify that H.B. No. 2681 was passed by the House on May |
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| 45 | | - | 14, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 119, Nays 8, 1 present, not |
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| 46 | | - | voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. |
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| 47 | | - | No. 2681 on May 28, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 143, Nays 1, |
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| 48 | | - | 1 present, not voting. |
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| 49 | | - | ______________________________ |
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| 50 | | - | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 51 | | - | I certify that H.B. No. 2681 was passed by the Senate, with |
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| 52 | | - | amendments, on May 26, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays |
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| 53 | | - | 2. |
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| 54 | | - | ______________________________ |
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| 55 | | - | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 56 | | - | APPROVED: __________________ |
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| 57 | | - | Date |
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| 58 | | - | __________________ |
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| 59 | | - | Governor |
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| 50 | + | * * * * * |
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