The legislation returns to the Senate for further consideration before reaching Gov. Greg Abbott‘s desk. If signed, the measure would become law.
The proposal requires schools to display a 16-by-20-inch poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments in a conspicuous location in each classroom, with text legible to anyone with average vision. Schools may accept private donations to meet this requirement or use district funds to purchase the displays.
An amendment added by the House ensures that the state attorney general will defend schools against any lawsuits arising from the law, with taxpayers covering litigation costs.
Rep. Candy Noble, who led the effort to pass the bill, argued that it reflects values foundational to American education and society.
An effort to place the Ten Commandments alongside other displays of religious traditions, including Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, failed.
The Texas proposal mirrors a Louisiana law passed last year, which federal courts have blocked. Critics point to the 1980 Supreme Court ruling in Stone v. Graham, which struck down a similar Kentucky law for violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
However, some Republicans argue that a 2022 Supreme Court decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, which upholds a coach’s right to pray on a school field, supports the legality of the Texas bill.