BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                           Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair

                                           1451 (Yee)
          
          Hearing Date:  05/17/2010           Amended: 04/28/2010
          Consultant:  Dan Troy           Policy Vote: ED 8-0
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          ____
          BILL SUMMARY:   SB 1451 would require the State Board of  
          Education to notify the Legislature and the Governor's Office of  
          any submitted instructional materials content that it interprets  
          are the result of revisions to the history social studies  
          curriculum made in Texas.  The bill would also apply social  
          content review provisions of law to the review of the  
          history-social science curriculum framework.  
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          ____
                            Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions         2010-11     2011-12       2012-13     Fund
                                                                  
          Reporting                           $60, offset by fees         
          Fees*

          *Publisher fees submitted with instructional materials
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          ____

          STAFF COMMENTS: 
          
          Current law requires that instructional materials "accurately  
          portray" the cultural and racial diversity of our society and to  
          include specified information about, among other things, the  
          contributions of men, women, and ethnic groups to the  
          development of California and of the nation, the Declaration of  
          Independence and the Constitution, and Dr. Martin Luther King  
          and the civil rights movement.  Current law prohibits districts  
          from adopting materials that contain matter reflecting adversely  
          upon people due to their race, color, creed, national origin,  
          ancestry, sex, handicap, or occupation.  Adopted materials must  
          also be free of sectarian or denominational doctrine contrary to  
          law.  

          As part of the process of adopting instructional materials, the  
          state reviews materials submitted by publishers to the State  










          Board of Education, including a social content review, which  
          determines compliance with the requirements detailed above.  

          This bill is a response to the proposals made by the Texas Board  
          of Education to move the state's social studies curriculum of  
          what they perceive as a liberal bias.  Critics counter that the  
          Board's proposals would insert a conservative bias.  Proposed  
          changes include the removal of Thomas Jefferson from a list of  
          figures whose writings inspired the revolutions of the 18th and  
          19th centuries, emphasizing the Judeo-Christian influences of  
          the founding fathers but not the rationale behind the separation  
          of church and state, and examining the "unintended consequences"  
          of Title IX and Great Society legislation.  Some critics suggest  
          the large Texas market will influence textbook content  
          nationally. 
            


          Page 2
          SB 1451 (Yee)

          The Department of Education suggests the bill would drive new  
          costs of approximately $60,000 for half a position, primarily  
          for activities related to reporting. These costs would be  
          covered by statutory publisher fees.