H.F. 2031 Section 1. Section 256.7, Code 2018, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 33. Adopt rules establishing course 3 standards for elective social studies courses listed in 4 paragraph “a” , any of which a school district may offer and 5 teach to students in grades nine through twelve subject to 6 the provisions of section 279.50A. The rules shall include 7 practitioner preparation and professional development 8 requirements for practitioners employed by a school district to 9 teach a course listed under paragraph “a” . 10 a. (1) A course on the Hebrew Scriptures. 11 (2) A course on the New Testament of the Bible. 12 (3) A course on the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament 13 of the Bible. 14 b. A school district may offer and teach a course listed in 15 paragraph “a” for all of the following purposes: 16 (1) To provide students with knowledge of biblical content, 17 characters, poetry, and narratives that are prerequisites to 18 understanding contemporary society and culture, including but 19 not limited to literature, art, music, mores, oratory, and 20 public policy. 21 (2) To familiarize students with, as applicable, the 22 following: 23 (a) The contents of the Hebrew Scriptures or the New 24 Testament of the Bible. 25 (b) The history of the Hebrew Scriptures or the New 26 Testament of the Bible. 27 (c) The literary style and structure of the Hebrew 28 Scriptures or the New Testament of the Bible. 29 (d) The influence of the Hebrew Scriptures or New Testament 30 of the Bible on law, history, government, literature, art, 31 music, customs, morals, values, and culture. 32 c. In complying with this subsection, the state board shall 33 not violate any provision of law as defined in section 17A.2. 34 A course offered and taught in accordance with this section is 35 -1- LSB 5016YH (6) 87 kh/rj 1/ 4

H.F. 2031 subject to federal and state guidelines regarding religious 1 neutrality and the diverse religious views, traditions, and the 2 perspectives of students enrolled in the school district shall 3 be recognized and accommodated. A course offered and taught 4 in accordance with this subsection shall not endorse, favor, 5 promote, or disfavor, or be hostile toward, any particular 6 religion, faith, or nonreligious perspective. 7 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 279.50A Elective social studies 8 courses —— religious scripture. 9 1. If the board of directors of a school district considers 10 and approves, by majority vote of the membership of the school 11 board, a recommendation from the school improvement advisory 12 committee that an elective social studies course be offered and 13 taught in accordance with section 280.12, subsection 4, such a 14 course may be offered and taught in the school district. 15 2. A student enrolled in a course offered and taught 16 pursuant to section 256.7, subsection 33, and this section, 17 shall not be required to use a specific translation as the sole 18 text for the Hebrew Scriptures or the New Testament of the 19 Bible for the course, and may use instead a translation other 20 than the text chosen for the course by the teacher, the school 21 improvement advisory committee, the school district, or the 22 state board of education. 23 3. A school improvement advisory committee appointed in 24 accordance with section 280.12, or the principal of a school 25 offering an elective social studies course in accordance with 26 section 256.7, subsection 33, and this section, may authorize 27 the display of historic artifacts, monuments, symbols and 28 texts, including but not limited to religious materials, in 29 conjunction with the course if such display is appropriate to 30 the overall educational purpose of the course and is consistent 31 with the provisions of section 280.6. 32 4. In offering and teaching a course in accordance with 33 section 256.7, subsection 33, and this section, a school 34 district shall not knowingly violate any provision of law as 35 -2- LSB 5016YH (6) 87 kh/rj 2/ 4

H.F. 2031 defined in section 17A.2. A course offered in accordance with 1 section 256.7, subsection 33, and this section, is subject to 2 federal and state guidelines regarding religious neutrality, 3 and the diverse religious views, traditions, and the course so 4 offered shall recognize and acknowledge the perspectives of 5 students enrolled in the school district. The course shall not 6 endorse, favor, promote, or disfavor, or be hostile toward, any 7 particular religion, faith, or nonreligious perspective. 8 Sec. 3. Section 280.12, Code 2018, is amended by adding the 9 following new subsection: 10 NEW SUBSECTION . 4. Consider a recommendation from the 11 school improvement advisory committee that an elective social 12 studies course which meets the requirements and purposes set 13 forth in section 256.7, subsection 33, be offered and taught in 14 the school district in accordance with section 279.50A. 15 EXPLANATION 16 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 17 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 18 This bill directs the state board of education to adopt 19 rules establishing course standards for elective social studies 20 courses on the Hebrew Scriptures or the New Testament of the 21 Bible. The bill authorizes a school district to offer and 22 teach such a course to students in grades 9 through 12 if the 23 district’s school improvement advisory committee recommends, 24 and the board of directors of the school district approves, the 25 course. 26 The purpose of the course must be to provide students 27 with knowledge of biblical content, characters, poetry, and 28 narratives that are prerequisites to understanding contemporary 29 society and culture, and to familiarize students with the 30 contents, history, literary style and structure, and influence 31 of the Hebrew Scriptures or the New Testament of the Bible. 32 The state board’s rules must include practitioner 33 preparation and professional development requirements for 34 practitioners employed by a school district to teach such a 35 -3- LSB 5016YH (6) 87 kh/rj 3/ 4

H.F. 2031 course. 1 Under the bill, the state board and school districts are 2 prohibited from violating any provision of law in complying 3 with the provisions of the bill. A course offered under the 4 bill is subject to federal and state guidelines regarding 5 religious neutrality, and shall recognize and accommodate the 6 diverse religious views, traditions, and the perspectives of 7 students enrolled in the school district. Such a course shall 8 not endorse, favor, promote, or disfavor, or be hostile toward, 9 any particular religion, faith, or nonreligious perspective. 10 If a school improvement advisory committee recommends such a 11 course, the school board must consider the recommendation. To 12 offer and teach such a course, the school board must approve 13 the recommendation by majority vote of its membership. 14 A student enrolled in such a course shall not be required 15 to use a specific translation as the sole text for the Hebrew 16 Scriptures or the New Testament of the Bible. 17 A school improvement advisory committee or the principal of 18 a school offering such a course may authorize the display of 19 historic artifacts, monuments, symbols, and texts, including 20 but not limited to religious materials, in conjunction with 21 the course if such display is appropriate to the overall 22 educational purpose of the course and does not require a child 23 to read religious books contrary to the wishes of the child’s 24 parent or guardian. Under current law, religious text books 25 such as the Bible, the Torah, and the Koran shall not be 26 excluded from any public school. 27 -4- LSB 5016YH (6) 87 kh/rj 4/ 4