| 1 | 1 | | 88R1083 JTZ-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: West S.B. No. 1857 |
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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 the wearing of Native American tribal regalia or |
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| 8 | 8 | | objects of cultural significance at certain public school events. |
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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 25, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 25.902 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 25.902. NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBAL REGALIA AT CERTAIN |
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| 13 | 13 | | SCHOOL EVENTS. (a) A school district may not prohibit a student who |
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| 14 | 14 | | is a member of a Native American tribe from wearing traditional |
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| 15 | 15 | | tribal regalia or objects that have cultural significance to that |
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| 16 | 16 | | tribe, including feathers, beadwork, or tribal symbols, at a |
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| 17 | 17 | | graduation ceremony or other official school event. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) In this section, "member of a Native American tribe" |
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| 19 | 19 | | means an individual who is enrolled or eligible to be enrolled as a |
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| 20 | 20 | | member of a federally or state recognized American Indian or Alaska |
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| 21 | 21 | | Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, rancheria, village, or |
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| 22 | 22 | | community. |
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| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024 |
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| 24 | 24 | | school year. |
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| 25 | 25 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 26 | 26 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 27 | 27 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 28 | 28 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 29 | 29 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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