House File 2179 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  FORD


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act requiring school districts to observe a moment of silence
  2    once during each instructional day.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 5670YH 82
  5 kh/sc/8

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  279.67  OBSERVANCE == MOMENT OF
  1  2 SILENCE.
  1  3    The board of directors of each school district shall
  1  4 establish the daily observance of a brief moment of silence in
  1  5 each classroom operated by the school district.  During the
  1  6 daily observance of silence, each teacher responsible for a
  1  7 classroom shall ensure that the moment is not conducted as a
  1  8 religious exercise and that students remain seated and silent
  1  9 and make no distracting display in order that each student
  1 10 may, in the exercise of a student's individual choice,
  1 11 meditate, pray, or engage in any other silent activity that
  1 12 does not interfere with, distract, or impede other students in
  1 13 their observance of silence.
  1 14                           EXPLANATION
  1 15    This bill requires the daily observance of a brief moment
  1 16 of silence in each public school classroom.  The bill requires
  1 17 teachers to ensure that the moment is not conducted as a
  1 18 religious exercise and that students remain seated and silent
  1 19 so that all students may exercise their individual choice to
  1 20 meditate, pray, or engage in any other silent activity.
  1 21 LSB 5670YH 82
  1 22 kh/sc/8