88R7505 ANG-D
By: Talarico H.B. No. 4252
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to certain public school instructional requirements and
prohibitions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 28.0022(a), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) For any course or subject, including an innovative
course, for a grade level from kindergarten through grade 12:
(1) a teacher may not be compelled to discuss a widely
debated and currently controversial issue of public policy or
social affairs;
(2) a teacher who chooses to discuss a topic described
by Subdivision (1) shall explore that topic objectively and in a
manner free from political bias;
(3) a school district, open-enrollment charter
school, or teacher may not require, make part of a course, or award
a grade or course credit, including extra credit, for a student's:
(A) work for, affiliation with, or service
learning in association with any organization engaged in:
(i) lobbying for legislation at the
federal, state, or local level, if the student's duties involve
directly or indirectly attempting to influence social or public
policy or the outcome of legislation; or
(ii) social policy advocacy or public
policy advocacy;
(B) political activism, lobbying, or efforts to
persuade members of the legislative or executive branch at the
federal, state, or local level to take specific actions by direct
communication; or
(C) participation in any internship, practicum,
or similar activity involving social policy advocacy or public
policy advocacy; and
(4) a teacher, administrator, or other employee of a
state agency, school district, or open-enrollment charter school
may not:
(A) require or make part of a course inculcation
in the concept that:
(i) one race or sex is inherently superior
to another race or sex;
(ii) an individual, by virtue of the
individual's race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or
oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously;
(iii) an individual should be discriminated
against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of
the individual's race or sex;
(iv) an individual's moral character,
standing, or worth is necessarily determined by the individual's
race or sex;
(v) an individual, by virtue of the
individual's race or sex, bears responsibility, blame, or guilt for
actions committed by other members of the same race or sex;
(vi) meritocracy or traits such as a hard
work ethic are racist or sexist or were created by members of a
particular race to oppress members of another race;
(vii) the advent of slavery in the
territory that is now the United States constituted the true
founding of the United States; or
(viii) with respect to their relationship
to American values, slavery and racism are anything other than
deviations from, betrayals of, or failures to live up to the
authentic founding principles of the United States, which include
liberty and equality;
(B) teach, instruct, or train any administrator,
teacher, or staff member of a state agency, school district, or
open-enrollment charter school to adopt a concept listed under
Paragraph (A); [or]
(C) require an understanding of the 1619 Project;
or
(D) require or make part of a course teaching
regarding white supremacist ideologies, including the great
replacement theory, unless those ideologies are discussed in the
appropriate historical and sociological context.
SECTION 2. 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, 2023.