| 2 | | - | SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION |
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| 2 | + | (In the Senate - Filed November 12, 2024; February 3, 2025, |
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| 3 | + | read first time and referred to Committee on Education K-16; |
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| 4 | + | March 17, 2025, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 9, |
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| 5 | + | Nays 1; March 17, 2025, sent to printer.) |
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| 6 | + | Click here to see the committee vote |
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| 7 | 10 | | proposing a constitutional amendment establishing a parent's right |
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| 8 | 11 | | to direct a child's education. |
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| 9 | 12 | | BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Article I, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
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| 11 | 14 | | adding Section 37 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 15 | | Sec. 37. (a) In this section, "parent" means a natural |
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| 13 | 16 | | parent, stepparent, adoptive parent, legal guardian, or other legal |
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| 14 | 17 | | custodian of a child. |
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| 15 | 18 | | (b) A parent has the right to direct the education of the |
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| 16 | 19 | | parent's child, including the right to: |
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| 17 | 20 | | (1) make reasonable choices within the public school |
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| 18 | 21 | | system; |
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| 19 | 22 | | (2) choose an alternative to public education, such as |
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| 20 | 23 | | a private school, including a parochial school or home school; |
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| 21 | 24 | | (3) access and view public school teaching materials, |
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| 22 | 25 | | textbooks and other instructional materials, and library books; |
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| 23 | 26 | | (4) attend meetings of the governing body of a public |
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| 24 | 27 | | school; and |
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| 25 | 28 | | (5) access public school student records for the |
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| 26 | 29 | | parent's child, including the child's student health records. |
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| 27 | 30 | | (c) The rights described by Subsection (b) of this section |
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| 28 | 31 | | may not be denied or restricted because the parent or the child is |
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| 29 | 32 | | an individual with a disability. |
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| 30 | 33 | | (d) The legislature by general law may provide for processes |
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| 31 | 34 | | to ensure that the rights described by Subsection (b) of this |
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| 32 | 35 | | section are upheld. |
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| 33 | 36 | | SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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| 34 | 37 | | submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 2025. |
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| 35 | 38 | | The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the |
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| 36 | 39 | | proposition: "The constitutional amendment establishing a |
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| 37 | 40 | | parent's right to direct a child's education." |
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