HB 2230
civics standards add communism, socialism, fascism and totalitarianism
Died in committee
Verdict: No flags
Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade
Caption
relating to including an understanding of certain political ideologies in the foundation curriculum in public schools.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
Taught with first-person accounts.
The bill adds a new item to the state civics standards requiring an understanding of political ideologies such as communism, socialism, fascism, and totalitarianism that conflict with American founding principles. It touches the State Board of Education, which must write the standards, and every school district and open-enrollment charter school, which must use first-person accounts when teaching those ideologies. Starting with the 2025-2026 school year, civics instruction in Texas public schools must cover these ideologies using firsthand accounts as part of the materials.
Labels
Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Jan 29, 2025 and referred to the House Public Education committee. No public hearing. The bill died.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-HB2230 · 2025-01-29
SOLD BY
ITEM
relating to including an understanding of certain political ideologies in the foundation curriculum in public schools.
WHAT IT DOES
Taught with first-person accounts.
The bill adds a new item to the state civics standards requiring an understanding of political ideologies such as communism, socialism, fascism, and totalitarianism that conflict with American founding principles. It touches the State Board of Education, which must write the standards, and every school district and open-enrollment charter school, which must use first-person accounts when teaching those ideologies. Starting with the 2025-2026 school year, civics instruction in Texas public schools must cover these ideologies using firsthand accounts as part of the materials.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
HISTORY
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to Public Education
FILED UNDER
No verified beat found.
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors
Donors report through Friends of Tom Oliverson.
Not tied to this bill.
Sources
The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.
Derived itemized flow · Oct 27, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
MoneyMissing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
Votes
No floor vote loaded for this bill.
Fiscal
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
How this was graded
Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.
Sources
Texas House · Filed Jan 29, 2025
03/14/2025 H Referred to Public Education: Mar 14 2025 2:36PM
Texas Legislature Online · Introduced
Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
House committee · Public Education · Final status: Died in committee
Subjects
Education--Primary & Secondary--Charter Schools
Education--Primary & Secondary--Curriculum
Education--School Districts
EDUCATION, STATE BOARD OF
Text
The text as introduced · 411 words
By: Oliverson H.B. No. 2230 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to including an understanding of certain political ideologies in the foundation 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 amending Subsections (h-1) and (h-6) and adding Subsection (h-3) to read as follows: (h-1) In adopting the essential knowledge and skills for the foundation curriculum under Subsection (a)(1), the State Board of Education shall, as appropriate, 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) political ideologies, such as communism, socialism, fascism, and totalitarianism, that conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy essential to the founding principles of the United States; (3) the history, qualities, traditions, and features of civic engagement in the United States; (4) [ (3) ] the structure, function, and processes of government institutions at the federal, state, and local levels; and (5) [ (4) ] the founding documents of the United States, including: (A) the entirety of the Declaration of Independence; (B) the entirety of the United States Constitution; (C) the Federalist Papers, including the entirety of Essays 10 and 51; (D) excerpts from Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America; (E) the transcript of the first Lincoln-Douglas debate; (F) the writings of the founding fathers of the United States; (G) the entirety of Frederick Douglass's speeches "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro" and "What the Black Man Wants"; and (H) the entirety of Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech "I Have a Dream." (h-3) In providing instruction regarding the political ideologies described by Subsection (h-1)(2), a school district or open-enrollment charter school shall use first-person accounts as part of the instructional materials for the instruction. (h-6) In providing instruction regarding the founding documents of the United States as described by Subsection (h-1)(5) [ (h-1)(4) ], a school district or open-enrollment charter school shall use those documents as part of the instructional materials for the instruction. SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. SECTION 3. 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.