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AN ACT
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relating to public school elective courses providing academic study |
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of the Bible. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 28.011 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 28.011. ELECTIVE COURSES ON THE BIBLE'S HEBREW |
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SCRIPTURES (OLD TESTAMENT) AND NEW TESTAMENT AND THEIR IMPACT ON |
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THE HISTORY AND LITERATURE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION. (a) A school |
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district may offer to students in grade nine or above: |
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(1) an elective course on the Hebrew Scriptures (Old |
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Testament) and its impact and an elective course on the New |
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Testament and its impact; or |
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(2) an elective course that combines the courses |
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described by Subdivision (1). |
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(b) The purpose of a course under this section is to: |
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(1) teach students knowledge of biblical content, |
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characters, poetry, and narratives that are prerequisites to |
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understanding contemporary society and culture, including |
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literature, art, music, mores, oratory, and public policy; and |
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(2) familiarize students with, as applicable: |
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(A) the contents of the Hebrew Scriptures or New |
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Testament; |
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(B) the history of the Hebrew Scriptures or New |
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Testament; |
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(C) the literary style and structure of the |
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Hebrew Scriptures or New Testament; and |
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(D) the influence of the Hebrew Scriptures or New |
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Testament on law, history, government, literature, art, music, |
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customs, morals, values, and culture. |
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(c) A student may not be required to use a specific |
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translation as the sole text of the Hebrew Scriptures or New |
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Testament and may use as the basic textbook a different translation |
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of the Hebrew Scriptures or New Testament from that chosen by the |
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board of trustees of the student's school district or the student's |
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teacher. |
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(d) A course offered under this section shall follow |
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applicable law and all federal and state guidelines in maintaining |
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religious neutrality and accommodating the diverse religious |
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views, traditions, and perspectives of students in their school |
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district. A course under this section shall not endorse, favor, or |
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promote, or disfavor or show hostility toward, any particular |
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religion or nonreligious faith or religious perspective. Nothing in |
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this statute is intended to violate any provision of the United |
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States Constitution or federal law, the Texas Constitution or any |
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state law, or any rules or guidelines provided by the United States |
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Department of Education or the Texas Education Agency. |
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(e) Before adopting rules identifying the essential |
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knowledge and skills of a course offered under this section, the |
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State Board of Education shall submit the proposed essential |
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knowledge and skills to the attorney general. The attorney general |
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shall review the proposed essential knowledge and skills to ensure |
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that the course complies with the First Amendment to the United |
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States Constitution, and the board may not adopt rules identifying |
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the essential knowledge and skills of a course offered under this |
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section without the attorney general's approval under this |
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subsection. |
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(f) A teacher of a course offered under this section must |
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hold a minimum of a High School Composite Certification in language |
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arts, social studies, or history with, where practical, a minor in |
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religion or biblical studies. A teacher selected to teach a course |
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under this section shall successfully complete staff development |
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training outlined in Section 21.459. A course under this section |
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may only be taught by a teacher who has successfully completed |
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training under Section 21.459. |
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(g) For the purpose of a student earning credit for high |
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school graduation, a school district shall grant one-half academic |
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elective credit for satisfactory completion of a course on the |
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Hebrew Scriptures, one-half academic elective credit for |
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satisfactory completion of a course on the New Testament, and |
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one-half academic elective credit for satisfactory completion of a |
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combined course on both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New |
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Testament. This subsection applies only to a course that is taught |
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in strict compliance with this section. |
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(h) If, for a particular semester, fewer than 15 students at |
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a school district campus register to enroll in a course required by |
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this section, the district is not required to offer the course at |
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that campus for that semester. |
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(i) This section does not prohibit the board of trustees of |
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a school district from offering an elective course based on the |
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books of a religion other than Christianity. In determining whether |
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to offer such a course, the board may consider various factors, |
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including student and parent demand for such a course and the impact |
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such books have had on history and culture. |
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(j) This section does not prohibit a school district from |
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offering a course, other than the course authorized by this |
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section, in the academic study of the Hebrew Scriptures, the New |
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Testament, or both for local credit or for state elective credit |
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towards high school graduation. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 21.459 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 21.459. BIBLE COURSE TRAINING. (a) The commissioner |
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shall develop and make available training materials and other |
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teacher training resources for a school district to use in |
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assisting teachers of elective Bible courses in developing: |
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(1) expertise in the appropriate Bible course |
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curriculum; |
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(2) understanding of applicable supreme court rulings |
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and current constitutional law regarding how Bible courses are to |
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be taught in public schools objectively as a part of a secular |
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program of education; |
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(3) understanding of how to present the Bible in an |
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objective, academic manner that neither promotes nor disparages |
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religion, nor is taught from a particular sectarian point of view; |
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(4) proficiency in instructional approaches that |
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present course material in a manner that respects all faiths and |
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religious traditions, while favoring none; and |
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(5) expertise in how to avoid devotional content or |
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proselytizing in the classroom. |
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(b) The commissioner shall develop materials and resources |
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under this section in consultation with appropriate faculty members |
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at institutions of higher education. |
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(c) The commissioner shall make the training materials and |
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other teacher training resources required under Subsection (a) |
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available to Bible course teachers through access to in-service |
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training. |
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(d) The commissioner shall use funds appropriated for the |
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purpose to administer this section. |
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SECTION 3. Section 28.002(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Each school district that offers kindergarten through |
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grade 12 shall offer, as a required curriculum: |
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(1) a foundation curriculum that includes: |
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(A) English language arts; |
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(B) mathematics; |
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(C) science; and |
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(D) social studies, consisting of Texas, United |
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States, and world history, government, and geography; and |
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(2) an enrichment curriculum that includes: |
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(A) to the extent possible, languages other than |
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English; |
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(B) health, with emphasis on the importance of |
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proper nutrition and exercise; |
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(C) physical education; |
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(D) fine arts; |
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(E) economics, with emphasis on the free |
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enterprise system and its benefits; |
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(F) career and technology education; [and] |
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(G) technology applications; and |
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(H) religious literature, including the Hebrew |
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Scriptures (Old Testament) and New Testament, and its impact on |
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history and literature. |
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SECTION 4. The provisions of this Act pertaining to a school |
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district do not take effect until the 2009-2010 school year. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 1287 was passed by the House on May 9, |
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2007, by the following vote: Yeas 139, Nays 1, 3 present, not |
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voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 1287 was passed by the Senate on May |
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23, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 2. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: _____________________ |
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Date |
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_____________________ |
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Governor |