By: Geren, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Campbell) H.B. No. 1291
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 2017;
  May 8, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on
  Education; May 16, 2017, reported adversely, with favorable
  Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0;
  May 16, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1291 By:  Lucio
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the instructional material list and supplemental
  instructional materials and the inclusion of American principles in
  those materials and the public school curriculum.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (h-1) to read as follows:
         (h-1)  To accomplish the primary purpose stated in
  Subsection (h), the State Board of Education and each school
  district shall ensure that:
               (1)  the public school curriculum emphasizes an
  understanding of the principles underlying the United States form
  of government, including the study of the Founding Fathers of the
  United States, the Declaration of Independence, the United States
  Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Federalist Papers; and
               (2)  each historical event addressed in the public
  school curriculum meets a reasonable standard of historical
  significance, in relation to the limited amount of available
  instructional time.
         SECTION 2.  Sections 31.023(a) and (b), Education Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  For each subject and grade level, the State Board of
  Education shall adopt a list of instructional materials.  The list
  includes each instructional material submitted for the subject and
  grade level that meets applicable physical specifications adopted
  by the State Board of Education, that [and] contains material that
  is consistent with the purpose and guidelines of Sections 28.002(h)
  and (h-1), and that covers [covering] at least half of the elements
  of the essential knowledge and skills of the subject and grade level
  in the student version of the instructional material, as well as in
  the teacher version of the instructional material, as determined by
  the State Board of Education under Section 28.002 and adopted under
  Section 31.024.
         (b)  Each instructional material on the list must be:
               (1)  free from factual errors;
               (2)  suitable for the subject and grade level for which
  the instructional material was submitted; and
               (3)  reviewed by academic experts in the subject and
  grade level for which the instructional material was submitted.
         SECTION 3.  Section 31.035(a), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter,
  the State Board of Education may adopt supplemental instructional
  materials that are not on the list adopted under Section 31.023.
  The State Board of Education may adopt supplemental instructional
  material under this section only if the instructional material:
               (1)  contains material covering one or more primary
  focal points or primary topics of a subject in the required
  curriculum under Section 28.002, as determined by the State Board
  of Education;
               (2)  is not designed to serve as the sole instructional
  material for a full course;
               (3)  meets applicable physical specifications adopted
  by the State Board of Education; [and]
               (4)  is free from factual errors;
               (5)  is suitable for the subject and grade level; and
               (6)  is reviewed by academic experts in the subject and
  grade level.
         SECTION 4.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsections (b) and
  (c) of this section, this Act applies beginning with the 2017-2018
  school year.
         (b)  The changes in law made by this Act to Section
  31.023(a), Education Code, apply to instructional materials
  adopted by the State Board of Education on or after September 1,
  2018.
         (c)  Sections 31.023(b) and 31.035(a), Education Code, as
  amended by this Act, apply only to an instructional material list or
  supplemental instructional material adopted on or after the
  effective date of this Act. An instructional material list or
  supplemental instructional material adopted before the effective
  date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the
  instructional material list or supplemental instructional material
  was adopted, and the former law is continued in effect for that
  purpose.
         SECTION 5.  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, 2017.
 
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