House File 2385 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2385 BY GAINES A BILL FOR An Act requiring that the United States history unit 1 requirement under the state’s educational standards include 2 instruction in African American history. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 6052YH (2) 88 kh/jh
H.F. 2385 Section 1. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph b, Code 1 2020, 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 in 5 the election process, and the method of acquiring and casting 6 an absentee ballot. All students shall complete a minimum 7 of one-half unit of United States government and one unit of 8 United States history. The one-half unit of United States 9 government shall include the voting procedure as described in 10 this lettered paragraph and section 280.9A . The government 11 instruction shall also include a study of the Constitution 12 of the United States and the Bill of Rights contained in the 13 Constitution and an assessment of a student’s knowledge of the 14 Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The unit of United States 15 history shall include instruction in African American history. 16 Sec. 2. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance 17 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring 18 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall 19 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid 20 received by the school district under section 257.16. This 21 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed 22 to meet all of the state funding-related requirements of 23 section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding 24 shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act 25 by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school 26 districts. 27 EXPLANATION 28 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 29 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 30 This bill requires that the unit of United States history, 31 currently required under the state’s educational standards, 32 shall include instruction in African American history. 33 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code 34 section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of 35 -1- LSB 6052YH (2) 88 kh/jh 1/ 2
H.F. 2385 any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school 1 district from state school foundation aid received by the 2 school district under Code section 257.16. The specification 3 is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate 4 funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The 5 inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the 6 requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state 7 mandates included in the bill. 8 -2- LSB 6052YH (2) 88 kh/jh 2/ 2