House Study Bill 604 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON WHEELER) A BILL FOR An Act relating to patriotic exercises and civic and historical 1 instruction regarding certain holidays in public schools. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5635YC (4) 90 jda/jh

H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 256.11, subsections 3 and 4, Code 2024, 1 are amended to read as follows: 2 3. a. The following areas shall be taught in grades 3 one through six: English-language arts, social studies, 4 mathematics, science, health, physical education, traffic 5 safety, music, visual art, and, subject to section 279.80 , 6 age-appropriate and research-based human growth and 7 development. Computer science instruction incorporating 8 the standards established under section 256.7, subsection 9 26 , paragraph “a” , subparagraph (4), shall be offered in 10 at least one grade level commencing with the school year 11 beginning July 1, 2023. The health curriculum shall include 12 the characteristics of communicable diseases. The state board 13 as part of accreditation standards shall adopt curriculum 14 definitions for implementing the elementary program. 15 b. (1) The social studies curriculum shall include 16 appropriate patriotic exercises and relevant civic and 17 historical instruction that conveys to students the meaning and 18 significance of all of the following days: 19 (a) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. 20 (b) Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. 21 (c) George Washington’s birthday. 22 (d) Armed Forces Day. 23 (e) Memorial Day. 24 (f) Constitution Day. 25 (g) Columbus Day. 26 (h) Veterans Day. 27 (i) Thanksgiving Day. 28 (j) Bill of Rights Day. 29 (2) The patriotic exercises and relevant civic and 30 historical instruction described in subparagraph (1) shall take 31 place on the day of the holiday, or if that day is not a school 32 day, then the immediately preceding or following school day or 33 week. 34 c. Paragraph “b” shall not apply to a nonpublic school. 35 -1- LSB 5635YC (4) 90 jda/jh 1/ 5

H.F. _____ 4. a. The following shall be taught in grades seven and 1 eight: English-language arts; social studies; mathematics; 2 science; health; age-appropriate and research-based human 3 growth and development; career exploration and development; 4 physical education; music; and visual art. Computer science 5 instruction incorporating the standards established under 6 section 256.7, subsection 26 , paragraph “a” , subparagraph (4), 7 shall be offered in at least one grade level commencing with 8 the school year beginning July 1, 2023. Career exploration 9 and development shall be designed so that students are 10 appropriately prepared to create an individual career 11 and academic plan pursuant to section 279.61 , incorporate 12 foundational career and technical education concepts aligned 13 with the six career and technical education service areas as 14 defined in subsection 5 , paragraph “h” , incorporate relevant 15 twenty-first century skills to facilitate career readiness, 16 and introduce students to career opportunities within the 17 local community and across this state. The health curriculum 18 shall include age-appropriate and research-based information 19 regarding the characteristics of sexually transmitted diseases. 20 The state board as part of accreditation standards shall adopt 21 curriculum definitions for implementing the program in grades 22 seven and eight. However, this subsection shall not apply to 23 the teaching of career exploration and development in nonpublic 24 schools. 25 b. (1) The social studies curriculum shall include 26 appropriate patriotic exercises and relevant civic and 27 historical instruction that conveys to students the meaning and 28 significance of all of the following days: 29 (a) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. 30 (b) Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. 31 (c) George Washington’s birthday. 32 (d) Armed Forces Day. 33 (e) Memorial Day. 34 (f) Constitution Day. 35 -2- LSB 5635YC (4) 90 jda/jh 2/ 5

H.F. _____ (g) Columbus Day. 1 (h) Veterans Day. 2 (i) Thanksgiving Day. 3 (j) Bill of Rights Day. 4 (2) The patriotic exercises and relevant civic and 5 historical instruction described in subparagraph (1) shall take 6 place on the day of the holiday, or if that day is not a school 7 day, then the immediately preceding or following school day or 8 week. 9 c. Paragraph “b” shall not apply to a nonpublic school. 10 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph b, Code 11 2024, is amended to read as follows: 12 b. Five units of the social studies including instruction 13 in voting statutes and procedures, voter registration 14 requirements, the use of paper ballots and voting systems in 15 the election process, and the method of acquiring and casting 16 an absentee ballot. All students shall complete a minimum 17 of one-half unit of United States government and one unit of 18 United States history. 19 (1) The one-half unit of United States government shall 20 include the voting procedure as described in this lettered 21 paragraph and section 280.9A . The government instruction shall 22 also include a study of the Constitution of the United States 23 and the Bill of Rights contained in the Constitution and an 24 assessment of a student’s knowledge of the Constitution and the 25 Bill of Rights. 26 (2) (a) The one unit of United States history shall 27 include appropriate patriotic exercises and relevant civic and 28 historical instruction that conveys to students the meaning and 29 significance of all of the following days: 30 (i) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. 31 (ii) Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. 32 (iii) George Washington’s birthday. 33 (iv) Armed Forces Day. 34 (v) Memorial Day. 35 -3- LSB 5635YC (4) 90 jda/jh 3/ 5

H.F. _____ (vi) Constitution Day. 1 (vii) Columbus Day. 2 (viii) Veterans Day. 3 (ix) Thanksgiving Day. 4 (x) Bill of Rights Day. 5 (b) The patriotic exercises and relevant civic and 6 historical instruction described in subparagraph division (a) 7 shall take place on the day of the holiday, or if that day is 8 not a school day, then the immediately preceding or following 9 school day or week. 10 (3) Subparagraph (2) shall not apply to a nonpublic school. 11 Sec. 3. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, paragraph g, Code 12 2024, is amended to read as follows: 13 g. Be subject to and comply with the requirements of section 14 256.7, subsection 21 , and the educational standards of section 15 256.11 , unless specifically waived by the state board during 16 the application process ; provided, however, that the state 17 board shall not waive the educational standards related to 18 social studies instruction established in section 256.11, 19 subsections 3 and 4, and in section 256.11, subsection 5, 20 paragraph “b” . 21 Sec. 4. Section 256F.4, subsection 2, Code 2024, is amended 22 by adding the following new paragraph: 23 NEW PARAGRAPH . p. Be subject to and comply with the 24 requirements of section 256.11, subsections 3 and 4, and 25 section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph “b” , relating to 26 educational standards related to social studies instruction in 27 the same manner as a school district. 28 Sec. 5. IMPLEMENTATION OF ACT. Section 25B.2, subsection 29 3, shall not apply to this Act. 30 EXPLANATION 31 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 32 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 33 This bill relates to patriotic exercises and civic and 34 historical instruction regarding certain holidays in public 35 -4- LSB 5635YC (4) 90 jda/jh 4/ 5

H.F. _____ schools. 1 The bill provides that the social studies curriculum 2 provided to students enrolled in grades 1 through 12 in school 3 districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools shall 4 include appropriate patriotic exercises and relevant civic and 5 historical instruction that conveys to students the meaning 6 and significance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, 7 Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, George Washington’s birthday, Armed 8 Forces Day, Memorial Day, Constitution Day, Columbus Day, 9 Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Bill of Rights Day. The 10 bill establishes that the patriotic exercises and relevant 11 civic and historical instruction shall take place on the day 12 of the holiday, or if that day is not a school day, then the 13 immediately preceding or following school day or week. 14 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code 15 section 25B.3. The bill makes inapplicable Code section 16 25B.2, subsection 3, which would relieve a school district 17 from complying with a state mandate if funding for the cost of 18 the state mandate is not provided or specified. Therefore, 19 school districts are required to comply with any state mandate 20 included in the bill. 21 -5- LSB 5635YC (4) 90 jda/jh 5/ 5