1. (a) The duties of each member of a state review panel are to:

   1. (1) evaluate all instructional materials submitted for adoption in each subject assigned to the panel to determine if essential knowledge and skills are covered;
   2. (2) make recommendations to the commissioner of education that each submission assigned to be evaluated by the state review panel be placed on the conforming list, nonconforming list, or rejected;
   3. (3) submit to the commissioner of education a list of any factual errors in instructional materials assigned to be evaluated by the state review panel; and
   4. (4) as appropriate to a subject area and/or grade level, ascertain that instructional materials submitted for adoption do not contain content that clearly conflicts with the stated purpose of the Texas Education Code, §28.002(h).
2. (b) State review panel members shall not accept meals, entertainment, gifts, or gratuities in any form from publishers, authors, or depositories; agents for publishers, authors, or depositories; any person who holds any official position with publishers, authors, depositories, or agents; or any person or organization interested in influencing the selection of instructional materials.
3. (c) Before presenting recommendations to the commissioner of education, state review panel members shall be given an opportunity to request a meeting with a publisher to obtain responses to questions regarding instructional materials being evaluated by the state review panel. Questions shall be provided to publishers in advance of the meeting.
4. (d) State textbook review panel members shall be afforded the opportunity to collaborate with other panel members during the official meetings to discuss coverage of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, errors, manufacturing specifications, or any other aspect of instructional materials being evaluated. A member of a state review panel shall have no contact with other members of the panel except during official meetings. State review panel members shall not discuss instructional materials being evaluated with any party having a direct or indirect interest in adoption of instructional materials.
5. (e) Members of each state review panel may be required to be present at the State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting at which instructional materials are adopted.

Source Note:The provisions of this §66.36 adopted to be effective September 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 7236; amended to be effective March 4, 2001, 26 TexReg 1706.