bill adding human trafficking awareness to school subjects

The text as introduced · 917 words

89R5868 JDK-D

By: Schatzline
H.B. No. 1911

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to instruction in human trafficking awareness in public

schools.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (u) and (u-1) to

read as follows:

(a) Each school district that offers kindergarten through

grade 12 shall offer, as a required curriculum:

(1) a foundation curriculum that includes:

(A) English language arts;

(B) mathematics;

(C) science; and

(D) social studies, consisting of Texas, United

States, and world history, government, economics, with emphasis on

the free enterprise system and its benefits, and geography; and

(2) an enrichment curriculum that includes:

(A) to the extent possible, languages other than

English;

(B) health, with emphasis on:

(i) physical health, including the

importance of proper nutrition and exercise;

(ii) mental health, including instruction

about mental health conditions, substance abuse, skills to manage

emotions, establishing and maintaining positive relationships, and

responsible decision-making; and

(iii) suicide prevention, including

recognizing suicide-related risk factors and warning signs;

(C) physical education;

(D) fine arts;

(E) career and technology education;

(F) technology applications;

(G) religious literature, including the Hebrew

Scriptures (Old Testament) and New Testament, and its impact on

history and literature; [ and ]

(H) personal financial literacy ; and

(I) human trafficking awareness .

(u) In adopting the essential knowledge and skills for the

human trafficking awareness curriculum required under Subsection

(a)(2)(I), the State Board of Education shall ensure that the

curriculum includes grade-level appropriate instruction relating

to:

(1) for students in grades six through eight:

(A) the underlying causes of human trafficking;

(B) identification of and prevention of human

trafficking for labor and sexual exploitation, with an emphasis on:

(i) understanding the signs or indicators

of human trafficking;

(ii) practicing online safety; and

(iii) understanding the methods used by

human traffickers to recruit children;

(C) methods for reporting suspected human

trafficking; and

(D) interventions and treatment provided to

survivors of human trafficking; and

(2) for students in grades 9 through 12, the topics

provided by Subdivision (1) and:

(A) the commercial sexual exploitation of and

vulnerability to human trafficking of minors;

(B) the role of gender in the selection of

targets for human trafficking;

(C) distinguishing human trafficking from other

types of offenses involving the transport or movement of

individuals by others, such as kidnapping and human smuggling; and

(D) domestic and foreign policy responses to

human trafficking.

(u-1) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules

requiring students enrolled in grades six through eight to complete

a one-semester human trafficking awareness course covering the

essential knowledge and skills described by Subsection (u)(1). The

course may be required only once for the middle school grade levels.

SECTION 2. Section 28.025(b-1), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(b-1) The State Board of Education by rule shall require

that the curriculum requirements for the foundation high school

program under Subsection (a) include a requirement that students

successfully complete:

(1) four credits in English language arts under

Section 28.002(a)(1)(A), including one credit in English I, one

credit in English II, one credit in English III, and one credit in

an advanced English course authorized under Subsection (b-2);

(2) three credits in mathematics under Section

28.002(a)(1)(B), including one credit in Algebra I, one credit in

geometry, and one credit in any advanced mathematics course

authorized under Subsection (b-2);

(3) three credits in science under Section

28.002(a)(1)(C), including one credit in biology, one credit in any

advanced science course authorized under Subsection (b-2), and one

credit in integrated physics and chemistry or in an additional

advanced science course authorized under Subsection (b-2);

(4) three credits in social studies under Section

28.002(a)(1)(D), including one credit in United States history, at

least one-half credit in government and at least one-half credit in

economics or personal financial literacy & economics, and one

credit in world geography or world history;

(5) except as provided under Subsections (b-12),

(b-13), and (b-14), two credits in the same language in a language

other than English under Section 28.002(a)(2)(A);

(6) four and one-half [ five ] elective credits;

(7) one credit in fine arts under Section

28.002(a)(2)(D); [ and ]

(8) except as provided by Subsection (b-11), one

credit in physical education under Section 28.002(a)(2)(C) ; and

(9) one-half credit in human trafficking awareness

under Section 28.002(a)(2)(I) .

SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date

of this Act, the State Board of Education shall develop the

curriculum required under Section 28.002(u), Education Code, as

added by this Act.

SECTION 4. (a) Sections 28.002(u)(1) and (u-1), Education

Code, as added by this Act, apply only to the middle school

curriculum required for students entering the sixth grade during

the 2025-2026 school year or a later school year.

(b) Section 28.025(b-1), Education Code, as amended by this

Act, applies only to students entering the ninth grade during the

2025-2026 school year or a later school year. For students entering

a grade above ninth grade during the 2025-2026 school year, Section

28.025(b-1), Education Code, as that section existed before

amendment by this Act, applies, and that section 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, 2025.