House Bill No. 1457 proposes to amend the Education Code to include a new requirement for public high school students to complete a course on modern conflicts as part of their social studies curriculum. Specifically, it adds a half credit in modern conflicts to the existing social studies requirements, which include U.S. history, government, and economics. The bill also modifies the total elective credits required from five to four and a half. Additionally, it mandates that the State Board of Education ensure that the course on modern conflicts includes specific instructional content related to significant historical events and ideologies from various countries, including Russia, China, North Korea, Cuba, and the Middle East.

The bill outlines detailed topics that must be covered in the modern conflicts course, such as the Bolshevik Revolution, the Tiananmen Square protests, the Gulf War, and the Iraq and Afghan Wars, among others. This legislation is set to apply to students entering the ninth grade in the 2025-2026 school year and will take effect immediately if it receives a two-thirds majority vote; otherwise, it will take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 28.025 (Education Code 28)