Bill Text: TX SB2202 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to the social studies curriculum in public schools.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 7-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-05-03 - Referred to Public Education [SB2202 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB2202-Engrossed.html
By: Creighton, et al. | S.B. No. 2202 |
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relating to the social studies curriculum in public schools. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subsections (h-2), (h-3), and (h-4) to read as follows: | ||
(h-2) In adopting the essential knowledge and skills for the | ||
social studies curriculum, the State Board of Education shall adopt | ||
essential knowledge and skills that develop each student's civic | ||
knowledge, including an understanding of: | ||
(1) the fundamental moral, political, and | ||
intellectual foundations of the American experiment in | ||
self-government; | ||
(2) the history, qualities, traditions, and features | ||
of civic engagement in the United States; | ||
(3) the structure, function, and processes of | ||
government institutions at the federal, state, and local levels; | ||
and | ||
(4) the founding documents of the United States, | ||
including: | ||
(A) the Declaration of Independence; | ||
(B) the United States Constitution; | ||
(C) the Federalist Papers, including Essays 10 | ||
and 51; | ||
(D) excerpts from Alexis de Tocqueville's | ||
Democracy in America; | ||
(E) the transcript of the first Lincoln-Douglas | ||
debate; and | ||
(F) the writings of the founding fathers of the | ||
United States. | ||
(h-3) For courses in the social studies curriculum in Texas | ||
history, United States history, world history, government, civics, | ||
social studies, or other similar subjects: | ||
(1) a teacher may not be compelled to discuss current | ||
events or widely debated and currently controversial issues of | ||
public policy or social affairs; | ||
(2) a teacher who chooses to discuss topics described | ||
by Subdivision (1) shall, to the best of the teacher's ability, | ||
strive to explore those topics from diverse and contending | ||
perspectives without giving deference to any one perspective; | ||
(3) a school district, open-enrollment charter | ||
school, or teacher may not require, make part of a course, or award | ||
a grade or course credit, including extra credit, for a student's: | ||
(A) work for, affiliation with, or service | ||
learning in association with any organization engaged in: | ||
(i) lobbying for legislation at the | ||
federal, state, or local level; or | ||
(ii) social or public policy advocacy; | ||
(B) political activism, lobbying, or efforts to | ||
persuade members of the legislative or executive branch at the | ||
federal, state, or local level to take specific actions by direct | ||
communication; or | ||
(C) participation in any practicum or similar | ||
activity involving social or public policy advocacy; and | ||
(4) a teacher, administrator, or other employee of a | ||
state agency, school district, or open-enrollment charter school | ||
may not: | ||
(A) be required to engage in training, | ||
orientation, or therapy that presents any form of race or sex | ||
stereotyping or blame on the basis of race or sex; and | ||
(B) require or make part of a course the concept | ||
that: | ||
(i) one race or sex is inherently superior | ||
to another race or sex; | ||
(ii) an individual, by virtue of the | ||
individual's race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or | ||
oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously; | ||
(iii) an individual should be discriminated | ||
against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of | ||
the individual's race or sex; | ||
(iv) members of one race or sex cannot and | ||
should not attempt to treat others without respect to race or sex; | ||
(v) an individual's moral character is | ||
necessarily determined by the individual's race or sex; | ||
(vi) an individual, by virtue of the | ||
individual's race or sex, bears responsibility for actions | ||
committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex; | ||
(vii) an individual should feel discomfort, | ||
guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on | ||
account of the individual's race or sex; or | ||
(viii) meritocracy or traits such as a hard | ||
work ethic are racist or sexist or were created by members of a | ||
particular race to oppress members of another race. | ||
(h-4) A state agency, school district, or open-enrollment | ||
charter school may not accept private funding for the purpose of | ||
developing a curriculum, purchasing or selecting curriculum | ||
materials, or providing teacher training or professional | ||
development for a course described by Subsection (h-3). | ||
SECTION 2. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of | ||
this section, this Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 school | ||
year. | ||
(b) Section 28.002(h-2), Education Code, as added by this | ||
Act, applies beginning with the 2022-2023 school year. | ||
SECTION 3. Not later than December 31, 2022, the State Board | ||
of Education shall review and revise, as needed, the essential | ||
knowledge and skills of the social studies curriculum as required | ||
by Section 28.002(h-2), Education Code, as added by this Act. | ||
SECTION 4. 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, 2021. |