| |
| |
| |
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the recitation of the pledges of allegiance to and |
|
|
display of the United States and state flags at and the observation |
|
|
of a moment of silence at open-enrollment charter schools and other |
|
|
public schools. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 25.082, Education Code, is amended by |
|
|
amending Subsections (b), (c), and (d) and adding Subsection (b-1) |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
(b) The board of trustees of each school district and the |
|
|
governing board of each open-enrollment charter school shall |
|
|
require students, once during each school day at each campus |
|
|
[school in the district], to recite: |
|
|
(1) the pledge of allegiance to the United States flag |
|
|
in accordance with 4 U.S.C. Section 4[, and its subsequent
|
|
|
amendments]; and |
|
|
(2) the pledge of allegiance to the state flag in |
|
|
accordance with Subchapter C, Chapter 3100, Government Code. |
|
|
(b-1) The board of trustees of each school district and the |
|
|
governing board of each open-enrollment charter school shall |
|
|
require that the United States and Texas flags be prominently |
|
|
displayed in accordance with 4 U.S.C. Sections 5-10 and Chapter |
|
|
3100, Government Code, in each campus classroom to which a student |
|
|
is assigned at the time the pledges of allegiance to those flags are |
|
|
recited. A district or school is not required to spend federal, |
|
|
state, or local district or school funds to acquire flags required |
|
|
under this subsection. A district or school may raise money or |
|
|
accept gifts, grants, and donations to acquire flags required under |
|
|
this subsection. |
|
|
(c) On written request from a student's parent or guardian, |
|
|
a school district or open-enrollment charter school shall excuse |
|
|
the student from reciting a pledge of allegiance under Subsection |
|
|
(b). |
|
|
(d) The board of trustees of each school district and the |
|
|
governing board of each open-enrollment charter school shall |
|
|
provide for the observance of one minute of silence at each campus |
|
|
[school in the district] following the recitation of the pledges of |
|
|
allegiance to the United States and Texas flags under Subsection |
|
|
(b). During the one-minute period, each student may, as the student |
|
|
chooses, reflect, pray, meditate, or engage in any other silent |
|
|
activity that is not likely to interfere with or distract another |
|
|
student. Each teacher or other school employee in charge of |
|
|
students during that period shall ensure that each of those |
|
|
students remains silent and does not act in a manner that is likely |
|
|
to interfere with or distract another student. |
|
|
SECTION 2. (a) Sections 25.082(b), (c), and (d), Education |
|
|
Code, as amended by this Act, apply beginning with the 2013-2014 |
|
|
school year. |
|
|
(b) Section 25.082(b-1), Education Code, as added by this |
|
|
Act, applies beginning with the 2016-2017 school year. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
| |
| |
| |
______________________________ |
______________________________ |
| |
President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
| |
| |
|
|
I certify that H.B. No. 773 was passed by the House on April |
|
|
26, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 139, Nays 1, 2 present, not |
|
|
voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to |
|
|
H.B. No. 773 on May 20, 2013, and requested the appointment of a |
|
|
conference committee to consider the differences between the two |
|
|
houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report |
|
|
on H.B. No. 773 on May 26, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 140, |
|
|
Nays 2, 2 present, not voting. |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
| |
|
|
I certify that H.B. No. 773 was passed by the Senate, with |
|
|
amendments, on May 16, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays |
|
|
0; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference |
|
|
committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and |
|
|
that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No. |
|
|
773 on May 26, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Secretary of the Senate |
|
|
APPROVED: __________________ |
|
|
Date |
|
|
|
|
|
__________________ |
|
|
Governor |