House File 2176 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY WENTHE
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the incorporation of character education into
2 the curricula of students in grades one through nine, and
3 providing effective and applicability dates.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 5736YH 82
6 ak/nh/24
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 256.11, subsections 3 and 4, Code
1 2 Supplement 2007, are amended to read as follows:
1 3 3. The following areas shall be taught in grades one
1 4 through six: English=language arts, social studies,
1 5 mathematics, science, health, age=appropriate and
1 6 research=based human growth and development, physical
1 7 education, traffic safety, music, and visual art, and
1 8 age=appropriate character education, including lessons in
1 9 personal conduct. The health curriculum shall include the
1 10 characteristics of communicable diseases including acquired
1 11 immune deficiency syndrome. The state board as part of
1 12 accreditation standards shall adopt curriculum definitions for
1 13 implementing the elementary program.
1 14 4. The following shall be taught in grades seven and
1 15 eight: English=language arts; social studies; mathematics;
1 16 science; health; age=appropriate and research=based human
1 17 growth and development; family, consumer, career, and
1 18 technology education; physical education; music; and visual
1 19 art; and age=appropriate character education, including
1 20 lessons in personal conduct. The health curriculum shall
1 21 include age=appropriate and research=based information
1 22 regarding the characteristics of sexually transmitted
1 23 diseases, including HPV and the availability of a vaccine to
1 24 prevent HPV, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. The
1 25 state board as part of accreditation standards shall adopt
1 26 curriculum definitions for implementing the program in grades
1 27 seven and eight. However, this subsection shall not apply to
1 28 the teaching of family, consumer, career, and technology
1 29 education in nonpublic schools. For purposes of this section,
1 30 "age=appropriate", "HPV", and "research=based" mean the same
1 31 as defined in section 279.50.
1 32 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, subsection 5, Code Supplement
1 33 2007, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
1 34 NEW PARAGRAPH. k. One=half unit of character education,
1 35 including lessons in personal conduct, to be taught in the
2 1 first year.
2 2 Sec. 3. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance
2 3 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring
2 4 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall
2 5 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid
2 6 received by the school district under section 257.16. This
2 7 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed
2 8 to meet all the state funding=related requirements of section
2 9 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding shall be
2 10 necessary for the full implementation of this Act by and
2 11 enforcement of this Act against all affected school districts.
2 12 Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE AND APPLICABILITY DATES. This Act,
2 13 being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect upon
2 14 enactment and applies to school years beginning on or after
2 15 July 1, 2008.
2 16 EXPLANATION
2 17 This bill requires that character education, including
2 18 lessons in personal conduct, be taught to students in grades
2 19 one through nine in public and nonpublic schools in order for
2 20 the schools to be accredited by the department of education.
2 21 The character education must be age=appropriate for students
2 22 in grades one through eight. The bill requires that character
2 23 education become a required one=half credit course in ninth
2 24 grade.
2 25 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code
2 26 section 25B.3. The bill requires that the cost of any state
2 27 mandate included in the bill be paid by a school district from
2 28 state school foundation aid received by the school district
2 29 under Code section 257.16. The specification is deemed to
2 30 constitute state compliance with any state mandate
2 31 funding=related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The
2 32 inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the
2 33 requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state
2 34 mandates in the bill. This Act becomes effective upon
2 35 enactment and applies to school years beginning on or after
3 1 July 1, 2008.
3 2 LSB 5736YH 82
3 3 ak/nh/24