House File 423 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 423 BY GRASSLEY A BILL FOR An Act relating to social studies instruction requirements for 1 high school students. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2293YH (2) 85 je/sc
H.F. 423 Section 1. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph b, Code 1 2013, is amended to read as follows: 2 b. Five units of the social studies including instruction 3 in voting statutes and procedures, voter registration 4 requirements, the use of paper ballots and voting systems 5 in the election process, and the method of acquiring and 6 casting an absentee ballot . All students shall complete a 7 minimum of one-half one unit of United States government and 8 one unit of United States history. The one-half unit of 9 United States government shall include the voting procedure 10 as described in this lettered paragraph and section 280.9A . 11 The government instruction shall also include a study of the 12 Constitution of the United States ; and the Bill of Rights 13 contained in the Constitution ; and the federal system of 14 government; the overlapping features and responsibilities of 15 the national, state, county, and local governments; and the 16 tenets of American citizenship, including civility, mutual 17 respect, political discourse, and appreciation of the common 18 public concerns of Americans. The government instruction 19 shall include an assessment of a student’s knowledge of the 20 Constitution , and the Bill of Rights , and the principles of 21 American citizenship . 22 Sec. 2. Section 280.9A, subsection 1, Code 2013, is amended 23 to read as follows: 24 1. The board of directors of each local public school 25 district and the authorities in charge of each nonpublic school 26 shall require that all students in grades nine through twelve 27 complete, as a condition of graduation, instruction in American 28 history and the governments of Iowa and the United States , 29 including instruction in voting statutes and procedures, voter 30 registration requirements, the use of paper ballots and voting 31 systems in the election process, and the method of acquiring 32 and casting an absentee ballot . 33 Sec. 3. Section 280.9A, subsection 2, Code 2013, is amended 34 by striking the subsection. 35 -1- LSB 2293YH (2) 85 je/sc 1/ 3
H.F. 423 Sec. 4. Section 331.502, subsection 16, Code 2013, is 1 amended by striking the subsection. 2 Sec. 5. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance 3 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring 4 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall 5 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid 6 received by the school district under section 257.16. This 7 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed 8 to meet all of the state funding-related requirements of 9 section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding 10 shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act 11 by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school 12 districts. 13 EXPLANATION 14 This bill increases the amount of instruction in government 15 required as part of the state’s high school social studies 16 curriculum from one-half unit to one unit. The bill adds 17 instruction in the federal system of government; the 18 overlapping features and responsibilities of the national, 19 state, county, and local governments; and the tenets of 20 American citizenship to the subjects required in the 21 instruction in government. The bill adds the principles of 22 American citizenship to the required subjects for assessment as 23 part of the instruction in government. 24 The bill strikes requirements that high school students 25 receive instruction in voting statutes and procedures, voter 26 registration requirements, the use of paper ballots and voting 27 systems in the election process, and the method of acquiring 28 and casting an absentee ballot. 29 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code 30 section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of 31 any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school 32 district from state school foundation aid received by the 33 school district under Code section 257.16. The specification 34 is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate 35 -2- LSB 2293YH (2) 85 je/sc 2/ 3
H.F. 423 funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The 1 inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the 2 requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state 3 mandates included in the bill. 4 -3- LSB 2293YH (2) 85 je/sc 3/ 3