| 1 | 1 | | 89R3060 RDR-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Menéndez S.B. No. 196 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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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 the development and use of instructional modules and |
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| 10 | 10 | | training for public schools on the prevention of sexual abuse and |
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| 11 | 11 | | sex trafficking. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Section 28.017, Education Code, as added by |
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| 14 | 14 | | Chapter 762 (S.B. 2039), Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular |
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| 15 | 15 | | Session, 2017, is reenacted and amended to read as follows: |
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| 16 | 16 | | Sec. 28.017. INSTRUCTION ON PREVENTION OF SEXUAL ABUSE AND |
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| 17 | 17 | | SEX TRAFFICKING. (a) The commissioner, in cooperation with the |
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| 18 | 18 | | human trafficking prevention task force created under Section |
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| 19 | 19 | | 402.035, Government Code, and any other persons the commissioner |
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| 20 | 20 | | considers appropriate, shall develop one or more sexual abuse and |
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| 21 | 21 | | sex trafficking instructional modules that a school district may |
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| 22 | 22 | | use in the district's health curriculum. The modules must [may] |
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| 23 | 23 | | include: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) information on the different forms of sexual abuse |
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| 25 | 25 | | and assault, sex trafficking, and risk factors for sex trafficking; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2) the procedures for reporting sexual abuse and sex |
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| 27 | 27 | | trafficking or suspected sexual abuse or sex trafficking; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (3) strategies for sexual abuse and assault prevention |
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| 29 | 29 | | and overcoming peer pressure; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (4) information on establishing healthy boundaries |
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| 31 | 31 | | for relationships, recognizing potentially abusive or harmful |
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| 32 | 32 | | relationships, and avoiding high-risk activities; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (5) the recruiting tactics of sex traffickers and peer |
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| 34 | 34 | | recruiters, including recruitment through the Internet; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (6) the legal aspects of sexual abuse and sex |
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| 36 | 36 | | trafficking under state and federal law; and |
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| 37 | 37 | | (7) the influence of culture and mass media on |
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| 38 | 38 | | perceptions of sexual abuse and sex trafficking, including |
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| 39 | 39 | | stereotypes and myths about victims and abusers, victim blaming, |
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| 40 | 40 | | and the role of language. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (b) The module or modules developed under Subsection (a) |
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| 42 | 42 | | must emphasize compassion for victims of sexual abuse or sex |
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| 43 | 43 | | trafficking and the creation of a positive reentry experience for |
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| 44 | 44 | | survivors of sexual abuse or sex trafficking into schools. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (c) Before the beginning of each school year, a school |
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| 46 | 46 | | district that elects to use a module developed under Subsection (a) |
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| 47 | 47 | | in the district's health curriculum shall provide written notice to |
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| 48 | 48 | | the parent of each student enrolled in the district that includes |
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| 49 | 49 | | the following: |
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| 50 | 50 | | (1) a statement that the district will provide |
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| 51 | 51 | | instruction relating to sexual abuse and sex trafficking awareness |
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| 52 | 52 | | to students enrolled in the district; |
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| 53 | 53 | | (2) a description of the material that will be used in |
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| 54 | 54 | | providing instruction to students; and |
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| 55 | 55 | | (3) a statement that the parent has the right to review |
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| 56 | 56 | | the material and remove the parent's student from the instruction. |
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| 57 | 57 | | (d) If a school district does not comply with the |
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| 58 | 58 | | requirements of Subsection (c), a parent of a student enrolled in |
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| 59 | 59 | | the district may file a complaint in accordance with the district's |
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| 60 | 60 | | grievance procedure developed under Section 26.011. |
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| 61 | 61 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 |
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| 62 | 62 | | school year. |
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| 63 | 63 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 64 | 64 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 65 | 65 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 66 | 66 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 67 | 67 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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