Austin, Texas - A new law designed to stamp out "critical race theory" (CRT) in public schools went into effect in Texas on Thursday.

Texas' Senate Bill 3, which provides additions to a previous House bill, stipulates that a "teacher may not be compelled to discuss a widely debated and currently controversial issue of public policy or social affairs."

What is considered "controversial" is not defined.

Teachers are not banned outright from discussing such matters, but they must "explore that topic objectively and in a manner free from political bias."

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At least one teacher or administrator from every one of Texas' more than 1,200 school districts must participate in a training program on how to teach about race and racism, the Texas Tribune reported.

The content of the program has not yet been released but should be in place by the 2025-2026 school year at the latest.

Shockingly, the bill also does not require instructors to teach students that white supremacy and the Ku Klux Klan are "morally wrong."

Republican Governor Greg Abbott has been clear that his goal with the legislation is to "abolish" critical race theory in schools, but he and many other GOP politicians around the country don't seem clear on what CRT actually is.

The theory, which only ever taught at university-level, says that racism isn't just an individual matter but rather is baked into institutions and legal systems.

Nevertheless, Republicans have been using the term to describe a the teaching of Black history, including instructing students about figures like Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X.

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Abbott and co. seem particularly threatened by the New York Times' 1619 Project. The Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of essays on Black people's contributions to American history is not allowed to be given as assigned reading.

Students are also not allowed to get credit for volunteering or interning with political campaigns or lobbying organizations.

Parents must have access to any online portals where students receive homework so they can make sure nothing is being assigned that violates the guidelines.

The new law in Texas mirrors a trend sweeping Republican-led states across the country, as GOP officials seek to limit the teaching of Black history and the history of other marginalized groups in schools.