| 1 | 1 | | By: Olcott H.B. No. 1009 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools. |
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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. Chapter 1, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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| 11 | 11 | | Section 1.0041 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 1.0041. DISPLAY OF TEN COMMANDMENTS. (a) A public |
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| 13 | 13 | | elementary or secondary school shall display in a conspicuous place |
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| 14 | 14 | | in each classroom of the school a durable poster or framed copy of |
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| 15 | 15 | | the Ten Commandments that meets the requirements of Subsection (b). |
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| 16 | 16 | | (b) A poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments |
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| 17 | 17 | | described by Subsection (a) must: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) include the text of the Ten Commandments as |
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| 19 | 19 | | provided by Subsection (c) in a size and typeface that is legible to |
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| 20 | 20 | | a person with average vision from anywhere in the classroom in which |
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| 21 | 21 | | the poster or framed copy is displayed; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) be at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (c) The text of the poster or framed copy of the Ten |
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| 24 | 24 | | Commandments described by Subsection (a) must read as follows: |
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| 25 | 25 | | "The Ten Commandments |
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| 26 | 26 | | I AM the LORD thy God. |
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| 27 | 27 | | Thou shalt have no other gods before me. |
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| 28 | 28 | | Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven images. |
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| 29 | 29 | | Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain. |
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| 30 | 30 | | Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. |
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| 31 | 31 | | Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the |
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| 32 | 32 | | land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. |
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| 33 | 33 | | Thou shalt not kill. |
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| 34 | 34 | | Thou shalt not commit adultery. |
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| 35 | 35 | | Thou shalt not steal. |
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| 36 | 36 | | Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. |
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| 37 | 37 | | Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. |
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| 38 | 38 | | Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor |
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| 39 | 39 | | his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy |
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| 40 | 40 | | neighbor's." |
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| 41 | 41 | | (d) A public elementary or secondary school in which each |
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| 42 | 42 | | classroom does not include a poster or framed copy of the Ten |
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| 43 | 43 | | Commandments as required by Subsection (a) must: |
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| 44 | 44 | | (1) accept any offer of a privately donated poster or |
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| 45 | 45 | | framed copy of the Ten Commandments provided that the poster or |
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| 46 | 46 | | copy: |
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| 47 | 47 | | (A) meets the requirements of Subsection (b); and |
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| 48 | 48 | | (B) does not contain any additional content; and |
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| 49 | 49 | | (2) display the poster or framed copy as specified in |
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| 50 | 50 | | Subsection (a). |
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| 51 | 51 | | (e) If a public elementary or secondary school has a poster |
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| 52 | 52 | | or framed copy of the Ten Commandments in each classroom that does |
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| 53 | 53 | | not meet the requirements of Subsection (b), the school may replace |
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| 54 | 54 | | the posters or copies with posters or copies that meet the |
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| 55 | 55 | | requirements of Subsection (b) using public funds or by accepting a |
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| 56 | 56 | | private donation. |
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| 57 | 57 | | (f) A public elementary or secondary school must offer a |
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| 58 | 58 | | poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments described by |
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| 59 | 59 | | Subsection (a) in the school's possession that is not needed for |
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| 60 | 60 | | display in a classroom as a donation to another public elementary or |
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| 61 | 61 | | secondary school. |
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| 62 | 62 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 |
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| 63 | 63 | | school year. |
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| 64 | 64 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 65 | 65 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 66 | 66 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 67 | 67 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 68 | 68 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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