Bill Text: TX SB17 | 2023 | 88th Legislature 1st Special Session | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to the right of a public school employee to engage in religious speech or prayer while on duty.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-06-20 - Co-author authorized [SB17 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB17-Comm_Sub.html
By: Parker | S.B. No. 17 | |
(In the Senate - Filed June 7, 2023; June 8, 2023, read | ||
first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; | ||
June 15, 2023, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 9, | ||
Nays 0; June 15, 2023, sent to printer.) | ||
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relating to the right of a public school employee to engage in | ||
religious speech or prayer while on duty. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 22, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 22.012 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 22.012. RELIGIOUS SPEECH OR PRAYER. The right of an | ||
employee of a school district or open-enrollment charter school to | ||
engage in religious speech or prayer while on duty may not be | ||
infringed on by the district or school or another state | ||
governmental entity, unless the infringement is: | ||
(1) necessary to further a compelling state interest; | ||
and | ||
(2) narrowly tailored using the least restrictive | ||
means to achieve that compelling state interest. | ||
SECTION 2. 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 October 1, 2023. | ||
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