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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to requiring a personal financial literacy credit for |
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graduation under the recommended and advanced high school programs. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. 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, economics, with emphasis on |
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the free enterprise system and its benefits, [and] geography, and |
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personal financial literacy; 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) career and technology education; |
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(F) technology applications; and |
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(G) 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 2. Section 28.0021(b), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) Each school district and each open-enrollment charter |
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school that offers a high school program shall provide to a student |
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instruction in personal financial literacy in any course meeting |
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the requirements for a social studies [an economics] credit under |
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Section 28.025, using materials approved by the State Board of |
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Education. The instruction in personal financial literacy must |
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include instruction on completing the application for federal |
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student aid provided by the United States Department of |
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Education. In fulfilling the requirement to provide financial |
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literacy instruction under this section, a school district or |
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open-enrollment charter school may use an existing state, federal, |
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private, or nonprofit program that provides students without charge |
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the instruction described under this section. [Each district and
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each open-enrollment charter school that offers a high school
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program shall ensure that a district or charter school student
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enrolled at an institution of higher education in a dual credit
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course meeting the requirements for an economics credit under
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Section 28.025 receives the instruction described under this
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subsection.] |
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SECTION 3. Section 28.025(b-1), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b-1) The State Board of Education by rule shall require |
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that: |
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(1) except as provided by Subsection (b-2), the |
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curriculum requirements for the recommended and advanced high |
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school programs under Subsection (a) include a requirement that |
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students successfully complete: |
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(A) four credits in each subject of the |
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foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1), including at |
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least one-half credit in government, [and] at least one-half credit |
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in economics, and at least one-half credit in personal financial |
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literacy under Section 28.0021, to meet the social studies |
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requirement; |
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(B) for the recommended high school program, two |
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credits in the same language in a language other than English under |
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Section 28.002(a)(2)(A) and, for the advanced high school program, |
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three credits in the same language in a language other than English |
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under Section 28.002(a)(2)(A); and |
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(C) for the recommended high school program, six |
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elective credits and, for the advanced high school program, five |
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elective credits; |
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(2) one or more credits offered in the required |
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curriculum for the recommended and advanced high school programs |
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include a research writing component; and |
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(3) the curriculum requirements for the minimum, |
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recommended, and advanced high school programs under Subsection (a) |
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include a requirement that students successfully complete: |
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(A) one credit in fine arts under Section |
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28.002(a)(2)(D); and |
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(B) except as provided by Subsection (b-11), one |
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credit in physical education under Section 28.002(a)(2)(C). |
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SECTION 4. Sections 28.0021(b) and 28.025(b-1), Education |
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Code, as amended by this Act, apply only to students entering the |
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ninth grade during the 2013-2014 school year or a later school year. |
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For students entering a grade above ninth grade during the |
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2013-2014 school year, Sections 28.0021(b) and 28.025(b-1), |
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Education Code, as those sections existed before amendment by this |
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Act, apply, and those sections are continued in effect for that |
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purpose. |
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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, 2013. |