Bill Text: TX SB2225 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to speech protections for student newspapers in public schools.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-03-29 - Referred to Education [SB2225 Detail]

Download: Texas-2017-SB2225-Introduced.html
  85R12194 KJE-D
 
  By: Rodríguez S.B. No. 2225
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to speech protections for student newspapers in public
  schools.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 25, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 25.904 to read as follows:
         Sec. 25.904.  STUDENT NEWSPAPER. (a) In this section,
  "protected speech" means speech protected by the First Amendment to
  the United States Constitution or by Section 8, Article I, Texas
  Constitution.
         (b)  The board of trustees of a school district shall adopt a
  policy providing for freedom of the press for students who publish a
  student newspaper as part of a journalism, newspaper, yearbook, or
  writing course or club, regardless of whether the newspaper is
  published using the district's money, equipment, or facilities.
         (c)  The policy must:
               (1)  permit students to determine the content of the
  newspaper, so long as the content constitutes protected speech;
               (2)  prohibit the school district or any employee of
  the district from censoring protected speech or from punishing a
  student for engaging in protected speech; and
               (3)  limit the scope and duration of a district
  employee's review of the newspaper before publication only to what
  is reasonably necessary to:
                     (A)  determine whether the newspaper contains
  content other than protected speech; and
                     (B)  if appropriate, remove content other than
  protected speech from the newspaper.
         (d)  The publication of a student newspaper may not be
  unreasonably delayed for purposes of conducting a review described
  by Subsection (c)(3).
         (e)  An employee of a school district may not be subjected to
  disciplinary action or any other form of punishment or retaliation
  for acting to protect or refusing to infringe upon a student's
  rights as provided by this section.
         (f)  The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to
  implement this section, including rules establishing a process for
  a student to appeal a school district employee's removal of content
  from a student newspaper.
         SECTION 2.  Section 12.104(b), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (b)  An open-enrollment charter school is subject to:
               (1)  a provision of this title establishing a criminal
  offense; and
               (2)  a prohibition, restriction, or requirement, as
  applicable, imposed by this title or a rule adopted under this
  title, relating to:
                     (A)  the Public Education Information Management
  System (PEIMS) to the extent necessary to monitor compliance with
  this subchapter as determined by the commissioner;
                     (B)  criminal history records under Subchapter C,
  Chapter 22;
                     (C)  reading instruments and accelerated reading
  instruction programs under Section 28.006;
                     (D)  accelerated instruction under Section
  28.0211;
                     (E)  high school graduation requirements under
  Section 28.025;
                     (F)  special education programs under Subchapter
  A, Chapter 29;
                     (G)  bilingual education under Subchapter B,
  Chapter 29;
                     (H)  prekindergarten programs under Subchapter E
  or E-1, Chapter 29;
                     (I)  extracurricular activities under Section
  33.081;
                     (J)  discipline management practices or behavior
  management techniques under Section 37.0021;
                     (K)  health and safety under Chapter 38;
                     (L)  public school accountability under
  Subchapters B, C, D, E, F, G, and J, Chapter 39;
                     (M)  the requirement under Section 21.006 to
  report an educator's misconduct;
                     (N)  intensive programs of instruction under
  Section 28.0213; [and]
                     (O)  the right of a school employee to report a
  crime, as provided by Section 37.148; and
                     (P)  speech protections for student newspapers
  under Section 25.904.
         SECTION 3.  This Act applies beginning with the 2017-2018
  school year.
         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, 2017.
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