| 1 | 1 | | 89R5100 CMO-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Harrison H.B. No. 2576 |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to Victims of Communism Remembrance Day in public schools |
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| 10 | 10 | | and the inclusion of an understanding of Victims of Communism |
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| 11 | 11 | | Remembrance Day in the essential knowledge and skills for |
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| 12 | 12 | | government under the social studies curriculum for public school |
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| 13 | 13 | | students. |
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| 14 | 14 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 15 | 15 | | SECTION 1. Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 16 | 16 | | adding Subsection (h-9) to read as follows: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (h-9) In adopting the essential knowledge and skills for |
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| 18 | 18 | | instruction in government under the social studies curriculum, the |
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| 19 | 19 | | State Board of Education shall adopt essential knowledge and skills |
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| 20 | 20 | | that develop each student's knowledge of Victims of Communism |
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| 21 | 21 | | Remembrance Day and include instruction with information on: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) Mao Zedong and the Cultural Revolution; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) Joseph Stalin and the Soviet System; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (3) Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (4) Vladimir Lenin and the Russian Revolution; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (5) Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (6) Nicolas Maduro and the Chavismo movement; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | (7) the oppression experienced by people living under |
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| 29 | 29 | | the regimes described by Subdivisions (1) through (6), including |
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| 30 | 30 | | poverty, starvation, forced migration, systemic lethal violence, |
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| 31 | 31 | | and suppression of free expression. |
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| 32 | 32 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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| 33 | 33 | | amended by adding Section 29.9075 to read as follows: |
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| 34 | 34 | | Sec. 29.9075. VICTIMS OF COMMUNISM REMEMBRANCE DAY. (a) To |
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| 35 | 35 | | educate students about the people who have fallen victim to |
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| 36 | 36 | | communist regimes across the world, the governor shall designate a |
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| 37 | 37 | | day to be known as Victims of Communism Remembrance Day in public |
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| 38 | 38 | | schools. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (b) Victims of Communism Remembrance Day shall include |
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| 40 | 40 | | age-appropriate instruction, as determined by each school |
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| 41 | 41 | | district, regarding the information described by Section |
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| 42 | 42 | | 28.002(h-9). |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 44 | 44 | | of this Act, the State Board of Education shall review and revise, |
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| 45 | 45 | | as needed, the essential knowledge and skills of the social studies |
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| 46 | 46 | | curriculum as required by Section 28.002(h-9), Education Code, as |
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| 47 | 47 | | added by this Act. |
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| 48 | 48 | | SECTION 4. Section 29.9075, Education Code, as added by |
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| 49 | 49 | | this Act, applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 51 | 51 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 52 | 52 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 53 | 53 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 54 | 54 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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