| 1 | 1 | | 88R14432 AMF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lujan H.B. No. 4374 |
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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 substance abuse awareness programs in public schools |
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| 8 | 8 | | and public institutions 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. Section 28.002(r), Education Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (r) In adopting the essential knowledge and skills for the |
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| 13 | 13 | | health curriculum under Subsection (a)(2)(B), the State Board of |
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| 14 | 14 | | Education shall adopt essential knowledge and skills that address |
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| 15 | 15 | | the science, risk factors, causes, dangers, consequences, signs, |
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| 16 | 16 | | symptoms, and treatment of substance abuse, including the use of |
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| 17 | 17 | | illegal drugs, abuse of prescription drugs, abuse of alcohol such |
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| 18 | 18 | | as by binge drinking or other excessive drinking resulting in |
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| 19 | 19 | | alcohol poisoning, inhaling solvents, and other forms of substance |
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| 20 | 20 | | abuse. The agency shall compile a list of evidence-based substance |
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| 21 | 21 | | abuse awareness programs from which a school district shall choose |
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| 22 | 22 | | a program to use in the district's middle school, junior high |
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| 23 | 23 | | school, and high school health curriculum. An evidence-based |
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| 24 | 24 | | substance abuse awareness program under this subsection must |
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| 25 | 25 | | include instruction regarding the dangers posed by the use of the |
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| 26 | 26 | | drug fentanyl. In this subsection, "evidence-based substance abuse |
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| 27 | 27 | | awareness program" means a program, practice, or strategy that has |
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| 28 | 28 | | been proven to effectively prevent substance abuse among students, |
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| 29 | 29 | | as determined by evaluations that are evidence-based. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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| 31 | 31 | | amended by adding Section 51.9365 to read as follows: |
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| 32 | 32 | | Sec. 51.9365. SUBSTANCE ABUSE AWARENESS PROGRAM. (a) In |
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| 33 | 33 | | this section: |
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| 34 | 34 | | (1) "Evidence-based substance abuse awareness |
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| 35 | 35 | | program" means a program, practice, or strategy that has been |
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| 36 | 36 | | proven to effectively prevent substance abuse among students, as |
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| 37 | 37 | | determined by evaluations that are evidence-based. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning |
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| 39 | 39 | | assigned by Section 61.003. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (b) Each institution of higher education shall include an |
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| 41 | 41 | | evidence-based substance abuse awareness program in the |
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| 42 | 42 | | orientation programming provided to incoming students. An |
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| 43 | 43 | | evidence-based substance abuse awareness program under this |
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| 44 | 44 | | section must include instruction regarding the dangers posed by the |
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| 45 | 45 | | use of the drug fentanyl. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 3. (a) Section 28.002(r), Education Code, as |
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| 47 | 47 | | amended by this Act, applies beginning with the 2023-2024 school |
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| 48 | 48 | | year. |
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| 49 | 49 | | (b) Section 51.9365, Education Code, as added by this Act, |
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| 50 | 50 | | applies beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year. |
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| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 52 | 52 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 53 | 53 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 54 | 54 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 55 | 55 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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