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 | |
|
|
||
|
|
||
| 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. | ||
