HF 480 (LSB 1713YH (7) 87)

HOUSE FILE 480

BY  WHEELER, SHEETS, WATTS, R. TAYLOR, SALMON, GASSMAN, and BAXTER

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to science education in school districts.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  279.54  Science education.
   1.  The board of directors of each school district shall authorize and assist teachers, principals, and other school administrators to create and foster an environment within the school district’s elementary and secondary schools that promotes critical thinking skills, logical analysis, and open and objective discussion of scientific theories. If a teacher provides instruction relating to evolution, the origins of life, global warming, or human cloning, the teacher shall include opposing points of view or beliefs relating to the instruction. 
   2.  A teacher employed by the school district shall use textbooks adopted by the school district, but may supplement the information in those textbooks with other instructional materials, including other textbooks, as permitted by the board of directors of the school district, to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review scientific theories in an objective manner.
   3.  This section shall not be construed to promote any religious doctrine, promote discrimination for or against a particular set of religious beliefs, or promote discrimination for or against religion or nonreligion.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill creates new Code section 279.54 directing the board of directors of each school district to authorize and assist the district’s teachers and administrators to create and foster an environment within the district’s elementary and secondary schools that promotes critical thinking skills, logical analysis, and open and objective discussion of scientific theories. If a teacher provides instruction relating to evolution, the origins of life, global warming, or human cloning, the teacher must include opposing points of view or beliefs relating to the instruction.
   A teacher shall use textbooks adopted by the school district, but may supplement the information in those textbooks with other instructional materials, as permitted by the board of directors of the school district.
   The bill provides that new Code section 279.54 shall not be construed to promote any religious doctrine, promote discrimination for or against a particular set of religious beliefs, or promote discrimination for or against religion or nonreligion.