House File 739 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY BERRY and ABDUL=SAMAD
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the incorporation of historical contributions
2 by minorities and women into high school curricula.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 2522HH 82
5 ak/es/88
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph b,
1 2 unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2007, is amended to read as
1 3 follows:
1 4 Five units of the social studies including instruction in
1 5 voting statutes and procedures, voter registration
1 6 requirements, the use of paper ballots and voting machines in
1 7 the election process, and the method of acquiring and casting
1 8 an absentee ballot. All students shall complete a minimum of
1 9 one=half unit of United States government, one=half unit of
1 10 African=American history, and one unit of United States
1 11 history. The one=half unit of United States government shall
1 12 include the voting procedure as described in this lettered
1 13 paragraph and section 280.9A. The government instruction
1 14 shall also include a study of the Constitution of the United
1 15 States and the Bill of Rights contained in the Constitution
1 16 and an assessment of a student's knowledge of the Constitution
1 17 and the Bill of Rights.
1 18 Sec. 2. Section 280.9A, subsection 1, Code 2007, is
1 19 amended to read as follows:
1 20 1. The board of directors of each local public school
1 21 district and the authorities in charge of each nonpublic
1 22 school shall require that all students in grades nine through
1 23 twelve complete, as a condition of graduation, instruction in
1 24 American history, African=American history, and the
1 25 governments of Iowa and the United States, including
1 26 instruction in voting statutes and procedures, voter
1 27 registration requirements, the use of paper ballots and voting
1 28 machines in the election process, and the method of acquiring
1 29 and casting an absentee ballot.
1 30 Sec. 3. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TEXTBOOK STUDY. The
1 31 department of education shall appoint a committee of at least
1 32 three staff members with expertise in history or textbooks to
1 33 examine available and soon=to=be available high school history
1 34 textbooks from various publishers that include
1 35 African=Americans, women, Hispanics, and other minorities who
2 1 were an integral part of the history of the United States.
2 2 The department's recommendations for new textbooks shall be
2 3 reported to the general assembly by January 1, 2008.
2 4 Sec. 4. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance
2 5 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring
2 6 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall
2 7 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid
2 8 received by the school district under section 257.16. This
2 9 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed
2 10 to meet all the state funding=related requirements of section
2 11 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding shall be
2 12 necessary for the full implementation of this Act by and
2 13 enforcement of this Act against all affected school districts.
2 14 EXPLANATION
2 15 This bill requires that African=American history become a
2 16 required course in high school curriculum.
2 17 The bill requires that a one=half unit of African=American
2 18 history be required as part of the five units of social
2 19 studies credits that high schools offer in order for public
2 20 and nonpublic schools to be accredited by the department of
2 21 education.
2 22 The bill also requires that school districts and
2 23 authorities in charge of accredited nonpublic schools ensure
2 24 that in order to graduate students complete a course in
2 25 African=American history. The bill also requires the
2 26 department of education to select at least three staff members
2 27 with expertise in either history or textbooks to examine
2 28 current or soon=to=be available history textbooks for content
2 29 that includes the contributions of women and minorities. The
2 30 department shall report its recommendations of new textbooks
2 31 to the general assemble by January 1, 2008.
2 32 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code
2 33 section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of any
2 34 state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school
2 35 district from state school foundation aid received by the
3 1 school district under Code section 257.16. The specification
3 2 is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state
3 3 mandate funding=related requirements of Code section 25B.2.
3 4 The inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate
3 5 the requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any
3 6 state mandates included in the bill.
3 7 LSB 2522HH 82
3 8 ak:nh/es/88