Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB360 Compare Versions

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1	1	88R202 ANG-D
2	2	By: Toth H.B. No. 360
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to requiring the disclosure of certain information
8	8	regarding public school teaching materials and activities.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Chapter 26, Education Code, is amended by adding
11	11	Section 26.0061 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 26.0061. REQUIRED DISCLOSURE REGARDING TEACHING
13	13	MATERIALS AND ACTIVITIES. (a) In this section:
14	14	(1) "Activity" includes a presentation, assembly,
15	15	lecture, or other event facilitated by a school district or
16	16	open-enrollment charter school, other than a student presentation.
17	17	(2) "Teaching material" includes:
18	18	(A) instructional material, as that term is
19	19	defined by Section 31.002;
20	20	(B) teaching aids; and
21	21	(C) any other material a student is given the
22	22	option to select for the student's instruction.
23	23	(b) Subject to Subsection (h), not later than the fifth day
24	24	of each month, each school district and open-enrollment charter
25	25	school shall make available to the public on the district's or
26	26	school's Internet website:
27	27	(1) a list disaggregated by subject area and grade
28	28	level that states all information, including the title, author,
29	29	organization, or Internet website, as applicable, necessary to
30	30	identify a teaching material or activity that was assigned,
31	31	distributed, or otherwise presented to the district's or school's
32	32	students during the preceding month in:
33	33	(A) a course for which students receive academic
34	34	credit; or
35	35	(B) an educational event that the district or
36	36	school requires students to attend or in which a majority of
37	37	students participate;
38	38	(2) the district's or school's procedures for
39	39	documenting, reviewing, or approving a teaching material or
40	40	activity described by Subdivision (1); and
41	41	(3) any changes made in the preceding month to the
42	42	procedures described by Subdivision (2).
43	43	(c) For purposes of Subsection (b)(1), a school district or
44	44	open-enrollment charter school is not required to list the
45	45	individual components of teaching materials produced as a single
46	46	volume, except that, for a volume that contains works by multiple
47	47	authors, the district or school shall include in the list under that
48	48	subsection:
49	49	(1) a table of contents for the volume; or
50	50	(2) a link to an Internet website that discloses the
51	51	title and author of each work included in the volume.
52	52	(d) Information posted to a school district's or
53	53	open-enrollment charter school's Internet website under Subsection
54	54	(b) must be maintained on the website for not less than one year.
55	55	(e) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
56	56	use collaborative online document or spreadsheet software to
57	57	prepare or post on the district's or school's Internet website the
58	58	information required under Subsection (b).
59	59	(f) If requested by the parents of five or more enrolled
60	60	students who are not siblings, a school district or open-enrollment
61	61	charter school shall conduct:
62	62	(1) an administrative review to determine whether the
63	63	information required to be posted on the district's or school's
64	64	Internet website under Subsection (b) was posted as required by
65	65	that subsection; or
66	66	(2) a review of the teaching materials and activities
67	67	described by Subsection (b) to determine whether each teaching
68	68	material and activity is:
69	69	(A) appropriate for the grade level at which the
70	70	material or activity is used; and
71	71	(B) aligned with the essential knowledge and
72	72	skills for the grade level at which the material or activity is
73	73	used.
74	74	(g) This section does not require a school district or
75	75	open-enrollment charter school to reproduce a teaching material or
76	76	activity described by Subsection (b)(1).
77	77	(h) This section does not apply to:
78	78	(1) a school district or open-enrollment charter
79	79	school with a student enrollment of less than 300 students; or
80	80	(2) a teaching material or activity described by
81	81	Subsection (b)(1) that is selected independently by teachers
82	82	employed at a campus with a student enrollment of less than 50
83	83	students for use only at that campus.
84	84	SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024
85	85	school year.
86	86	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
87	87	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
88	88	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
89	89	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
90	90	Act takes effect September 1, 2023.