| 1 | 1 | | 88R8371 KJE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Harris of Anderson H.B. No. 1607 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to prohibiting certain instruction as part of a course at a |
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| 8 | 8 | | public institution of higher education. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 51.982 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 51.982. CERTAIN INSTRUCTION PROHIBITED. (a) In this |
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| 13 | 13 | | section, "institution of higher education" has the meaning assigned |
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| 14 | 14 | | by Section 61.003. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) An institution of higher education may not require or |
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| 16 | 16 | | make part of a course inculcation in the concept that: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) one race or sex is inherently superior to another |
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| 18 | 18 | | race or sex; |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) an individual, by virtue of the individual's race |
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| 20 | 20 | | or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether |
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| 21 | 21 | | consciously or unconsciously; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (3) an individual should be discriminated against or |
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| 23 | 23 | | receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of the |
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| 24 | 24 | | individual's race or sex; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (4) an individual's moral character, standing, or |
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| 26 | 26 | | worth is necessarily determined by the individual's race or sex; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (5) an individual, by virtue of the individual's race |
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| 28 | 28 | | or sex, bears responsibility, blame, or guilt for actions committed |
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| 29 | 29 | | by other members of the same race or sex; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (6) meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic are |
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| 31 | 31 | | racist or sexist or were created by members of a particular race to |
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| 32 | 32 | | oppress members of another race; or |
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| 33 | 33 | | (7) with respect to their relationship to American |
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| 34 | 34 | | values, slavery and racism are anything other than deviations from, |
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| 35 | 35 | | betrayals of, or failures to live up to the authentic founding |
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| 36 | 36 | | principles of the United States, which include liberty and |
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| 37 | 37 | | equality. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (c) An institution of higher education that violates this |
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| 39 | 39 | | section is ineligible to receive state funds. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (d) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall |
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| 41 | 41 | | adopt rules as necessary to enforce this section. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 2. Section 51.982, Education Code, as added by this |
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| 43 | 43 | | Act, applies beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year. |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 45 | 45 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 46 | 46 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 47 | 47 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 48 | 48 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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