Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB735 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R5984 GP-D
2	2	By: Menéndez S.B. No. 735
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to Holocaust education and training provided to students
10	10	enrolled at public schools and public institutions of higher
11	11	education.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 8, Education Code, is
14	14	amended by adding Section 8.065 to read as follows:
15	15	Sec. 8.065. COLLABORATION WITH HOLOCAUST MUSEUMS. Each
16	16	regional education service center shall on a regular basis
17	17	collaborate with one or more of the Holocaust museums in this state
18	18	to expand educator training and classroom education opportunities
19	19	regarding Holocaust education.
20	20	SECTION 2. Section 29.9072, Education Code, is amended by
21	21	amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read
22	22	as follows:
23	23	(a) In this section, "Holocaust" has the meaning assigned by
24	24	Section 448.001 [449.001], Government Code.
25	25	(d) Not later than June 1 of each school year, each school
26	26	district and open-enrollment charter school shall submit to the
27	27	agency a report regarding the Holocaust Remembrance Week
28	28	instruction offered by the district or school for that school year
29	29	under this section. The report must include the activities,
30	30	lessons, and instructional materials used for the instruction.
31	31	(e) As soon as practicable after June 1 of each school year,
32	32	the agency shall compile all reports submitted under Subsection (d)
33	33	for the school year and submit the compiled information to each
34	34	regional education service center and the Texas Holocaust,
35	35	Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission.
36	36	SECTION 3. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
37	37	amended by adding Section 29.90721 to read as follows:
38	38	Sec. 29.90721. HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE WEEK GRANT PROGRAM.
39	39	(a) In this section:
40	40	(1) "Advisory commission" means the Texas Holocaust,
41	41	Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission.
42	42	(2) "Commission" means the Texas Historical
43	43	Commission.
44	44	(3) "Holocaust" has the meaning assigned by Section
45	45	448.001, Government Code.
46	46	(b) From money appropriated for purposes of this section,
47	47	the commission, in coordination with the advisory commission, shall
48	48	establish and administer a grant program to provide grants to
49	49	school districts and museums, centers, and other relevant
50	50	organizations in this state to assist in the implementation of
51	51	Holocaust Remembrance Week instruction under Section 29.9072. The
52	52	commission may award a grant for purposes of:
53	53	(1) developing optional, age-appropriate lesson plans
54	54	for classroom teachers who lack relevant subject matter expertise
55	55	regarding the Holocaust;
56	56	(2) sponsoring student field trips to the Holocaust
57	57	museums in this state, with priority given to campuses in urban and
58	58	rural districts;
59	59	(3) providing training approved by the advisory
60	60	committee for educators and for administrators who manage
61	61	professional development and teacher training in each district;
62	62	(4) cataloging and expanding relevant audiovisual and
63	63	digital classroom resources, including resources maintained by
64	64	Holocaust museums in this state; and
65	65	(5) developing, in collaboration with museums,
66	66	bilingual curricula to meet the needs of more students in this state
67	67	and making the curricula available on the advisory commission's
68	68	Internet website.
69	69	(c) The commission, in coordination with the advisory
70	70	commission, shall adopt rules as necessary to establish and
71	71	administer the grant program under this section.
72	72	SECTION 4. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
73	73	amended by adding Section 61.0767 to read as follows:
74	74	Sec. 61.0767. EDUCATOR PREPARATION PILOT PROGRAM TO IMPROVE
75	75	DELIVERY OF HOLOCAUST EDUCATION. (a) The board shall establish a
76	76	pilot program at institutions of higher education selected by the
77	77	board to train students enrolled in an educator preparation program
78	78	to provide more effective instruction related to the history and
79	79	remembrance of the Holocaust. The board may adopt rules as
80	80	necessary to administer this section.
81	81	(b) An institution of higher education selected under this
82	82	section must have an educator preparation program approved by the
83	83	State Board for Educator Certification or be affiliated with a
84	84	program approved by the State Board for Educator Certification.
85	85	(c) At least 50 percent of the institutions of higher
86	86	education selected by the board must be located in an area or likely
87	87	to graduate educators who will teach in a public school in an area
88	88	where the applicable school district has demonstrated low
89	89	participation in Holocaust Remembrance Week instruction.
90	90	(d) The board shall collaborate with the Texas Holocaust,
91	91	Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission to establish
92	92	minimum curriculum requirements, guidelines, and procedures
93	93	necessary for the implementation of the pilot program.
94	94	(e) The board shall use any funds appropriated or otherwise
95	95	made available for purposes of the pilot program and may accept
96	96	gifts, grants, and donations to fund the pilot program.
97	97	(f) The pilot program shall operate for four full academic
98	98	years.
99	99	(g) An institution of higher education selected for the
100	100	pilot program shall annually report to the board in the manner
101	101	prescribed by the board data and information regarding the
102	102	operation of the pilot program.
103	103	(h) The report required by Subsection (g) must contain, with
104	104	respect to the preceding academic year:
105	105	(1) a description of the manner in which the selected
106	106	institution complied with the purpose of the pilot program and any
107	107	difficulties encountered in complying with that purpose, including
108	108	timelines related to implementing the pilot program;
109	109	(2) data regarding the institution's students
110	110	receiving instruction under the pilot program through an educator
111	111	preparation program;
112	112	(3) information regarding any third-party entities or
113	113	organizations the institution collaborates with to deliver
114	114	instruction under the pilot program through an educator preparation
115	115	program; and
116	116	(4) a survey of educator preparation program students
117	117	and faculty who participated in the pilot program at the
118	118	institution, including feedback regarding the results of the pilot
119	119	program and information regarding the marketability and subsequent
120	120	teaching careers of participating students.
121	121	(i) The board shall compile a biennial report based on the
122	122	data and information received under Subsection (g) regarding the
123	123	operation of the pilot program and the results of the survey of
124	124	educator preparation program students and faculty who participated
125	125	in the pilot program at each of the selected institutions during the
126	126	preceding biennium. Not later than September 1 of each
127	127	odd-numbered year, the board shall deliver a copy of the report to
128	128	the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
129	129	representatives, and the chair of each standing committee of the
130	130	legislature having primary jurisdiction over higher education.
131	131	(j) The biennial report produced by the board before
132	132	September 1, 2029, must include a recommendation regarding whether
133	133	the pilot program should be continued, expanded, or terminated.
134	134	(k) Before September 1, 2031, the board shall conduct a
135	135	final survey of educator preparation program students and faculty
136	136	who participated in the pilot program at the selected institutions
137	137	at any time during the operation of the program, including feedback
138	138	regarding the results of the pilot program and information
139	139	regarding the marketability and teaching careers of participating
140	140	students. The board shall publish the results of the survey on its
141	141	Internet website.
142	142	(l) The pilot program concludes and this section expires
143	143	December 1, 2031.
144	144	SECTION 5. Section 29.9072, Education Code, as amended by
145	145	this Act, applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
146	146	SECTION 6. As soon as practicable after the effective date
147	147	of this Act, the Texas Historical Commission, in coordination with
148	148	the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory
149	149	Commission, shall establish the grant program required by Section
150	150	29.90721, Education Code, as added by this Act.
151	151	SECTION 7. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
152	152	shall select public institutions of higher education for the pilot
153	153	program required under Section 61.0767, Education Code, as added by
154	154	this Act, not later than May 1, 2026.
155	155	SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.