| 1 | 1 | | 88R9590 AMF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: A. Johnson of Harris H.B. No. 4064 |
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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 an earth, environment, and planetary sciences pilot |
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| 8 | 8 | | program in the Houston Independent School District. |
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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 29, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 29.935 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 29.935. EARTH, ENVIRONMENT, AND PLANETARY SCIENCES |
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| 13 | 13 | | PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In this section, "pilot program" means the |
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| 14 | 14 | | earth, environment, and planetary sciences program offered by the |
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| 15 | 15 | | Houston Independent School District. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (b) The Houston Independent School District shall, in |
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| 17 | 17 | | collaboration with Rice University, establish and implement a pilot |
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| 18 | 18 | | program that uses local institutions and resources, including the |
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| 19 | 19 | | Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, the Houston Museum of Natural |
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| 20 | 20 | | Science, and the Lunar and Planetary Institute to encourage student |
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| 21 | 21 | | engagement in earth, environment, and planetary sciences and foster |
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| 22 | 22 | | connections for students interested in careers in those and related |
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| 23 | 23 | | fields of study. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (c) The program may include: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) a student outreach program to train graduate and |
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| 26 | 26 | | undergraduate students in earth, environment, and planetary |
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| 27 | 27 | | sciences and related fields of study on effective communication and |
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| 28 | 28 | | teaching strategies in preparation for leading Houston Independent |
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| 29 | 29 | | School District students in age-appropriate lessons and activities |
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| 30 | 30 | | involving current scientific research; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) professional development for Houston Independent |
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| 32 | 32 | | School District teachers that provides strategies and resources for |
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| 33 | 33 | | teaching earth, environment, and planetary sciences content; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (3) career information sessions for Houston |
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| 35 | 35 | | Independent School District students that are hosted by Rice |
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| 36 | 36 | | University graduate students, faculty, and alumni working in the |
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| 37 | 37 | | earth, environment, and planetary sciences and related fields of |
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| 38 | 38 | | study; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (4) community events, field trips, and summer |
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| 40 | 40 | | programming for Houston Independent School District students and |
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| 41 | 41 | | their families to explore developments in earth, environment, and |
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| 42 | 42 | | planetary sciences and related fields of study through hands-on |
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| 43 | 43 | | learning activities; and |
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| 44 | 44 | | (5) summer research internship opportunities for |
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| 45 | 45 | | rising juniors and seniors enrolled in Houston Independent School |
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| 46 | 46 | | District. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (d) Not later than September 1, 2025, the board of trustees |
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| 48 | 48 | | of the Houston Independent School District shall prepare and |
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| 49 | 49 | | deliver to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of |
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| 50 | 50 | | the house of representatives, and the presiding officer of each |
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| 51 | 51 | | legislative standing committee with primary jurisdiction over |
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| 52 | 52 | | primary and secondary education a report that evaluates the |
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| 53 | 53 | | effectiveness of the pilot program. The report must include the |
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| 54 | 54 | | district's recommendations regarding whether the pilot program |
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| 55 | 55 | | should be continued, expanded, or terminated. |
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| 56 | 56 | | (e) This section expires September 1, 2025. |
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| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 2. The Houston Independent School District shall |
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| 58 | 58 | | establish the pilot program under Section 29.935, Education Code, |
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| 59 | 59 | | as added by this Act, as soon as practicable following the effective |
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| 60 | 60 | | date of this Act. |
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| 61 | 61 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 62 | 62 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 63 | 63 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 64 | 64 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 65 | 65 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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