| 1 | 1 | | By: Leo-Wilson H.B. No. 574 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to the inclusion of instruction regarding the beginning of |
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| 7 | 7 | | human life in the health curriculum for public school students. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 28.002(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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| 10 | 10 | | read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (a) Each school district that offers kindergarten through |
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| 12 | 12 | | grade 12 shall offer, as a required curriculum: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) a foundation curriculum that includes: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (A) English language arts; |
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| 15 | 15 | | (B) mathematics; |
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| 16 | 16 | | (C) science; and |
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| 17 | 17 | | (D) social studies, consisting of Texas, United |
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| 18 | 18 | | States, and world history, government, economics, with emphasis on |
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| 19 | 19 | | the free enterprise system and its benefits, and geography; and |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) an enrichment curriculum that includes: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (A) to the extent possible, languages other than |
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| 22 | 22 | | English; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (B) health, with emphasis on: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (i) physical health, including the |
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| 25 | 25 | | importance of proper nutrition and exercise; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (ii) mental health, including instruction |
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| 27 | 27 | | about mental health conditions, substance abuse, skills to manage |
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| 28 | 28 | | emotions, establishing and maintaining positive relationships, and |
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| 29 | 29 | | responsible decision-making; [and] |
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| 30 | 30 | | (iii) suicide prevention, including |
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| 31 | 31 | | recognizing suicide-related risk factors and warning signs; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | (iv) instruction that human life begins at |
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| 33 | 33 | | conception and has inherent dignity and immeasurable worth from the |
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| 34 | 34 | | moment of conception; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (C) physical education; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (D) fine arts; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (E) career and technology education; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (F) technology applications; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (G) religious literature, including the Hebrew |
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| 40 | 40 | | Scriptures (Old Testament) and New Testament, and its impact on |
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| 41 | 41 | | history and literature; and |
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| 42 | 42 | | (H) personal financial literacy. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024 |
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| 44 | 44 | | school year. |
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| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 46 | 46 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 47 | 47 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 48 | 48 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 49 | 49 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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