Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 478 of the Regular Session
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State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H3/11/25 H3/17/25 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1705 3
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By: Representatives Duke, R. Scott Richardson, Bentley, Breaux, A. Brown, K. Brown, Joey Carr, 5
Cozart, Long, McGrew, S. Meeks, Rye, Vaught 6
By: Senators J. Bryant, J. Dotson 7
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For An Act To Be Entitled 9
AN ACT TO REQUIRE CERTAIN INFORMATION BE EMBEDDED 10
INTO EXISTING SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS; TO REQUIRE 11
INFORMATION CONCERNING HOW THE RELIGIOUS AND MORAL 12
BELIEFS OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS INFLUENCED THE 13
FOUNDING OF THE UNITED STATES TO BE EMBEDDED INTO 14
EXISTING SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS; AND FOR OTHER 15
PURPOSES. 16
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Subtitle 19
TO REQUIRE INFORMATION CONCERNING HOW 20
THE RELIGIOUS AND MORAL BELIEFS OF THE 21
FOUNDING FATHERS INFLUENCED THE FOUNDING 22
OF THE UNITED STATES TO BE EMBEDDED INTO 23
EXISTING SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS. 24
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 26
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 16, Subchapter 1, is amended 28
to add an additional section to read as follows: 29
6-16-163. Social studies standards — Beliefs of Founding Fathers. 30
(a) Beginning with the 2026 -2027 school year, the State Board of 31
Education shall embed into existing social studies standards and courses for 32
grades six through twelve (6 -12) information that addresses the founding of 33
the United States, including the founding fathers and their religious and 34
moral beliefs and how their religious and moral beliefs influenced the 35
founding documents of the United States. 36 As Engrossed: H3/11/25 H3/17/25 HB1705
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(b) The information required under subsection (a) of this section 1
shall emphasize the following without limitation: 2
(1) The Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, including 3
the meaning behind and purpose of the quote, "We hold these truths to be 4
self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their 5
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty 6
and the pursuit of Happiness"; 7
(2) The core political beliefs of the founding fathers, 8
including without limitation: 9
(A) Ordered liberty; 10
(B) Equality; 11
(C) Natural rights, including without limitation defense 12
of self, community, and nation; 13
(D) Freedom of speech and press; and 14
(E) The free exercise of religion; 15
(3) How the religious and moral beliefs of the founding fathers 16
influenced the founding of the United States and documents and concepts 17
relevant to the founding fathers' religious and moral beliefs , including 18
without limitation: 19
(A) The identity of the "Creator" as viewed by the 20
founding fathers; 21
(B) The nature of mankind, or "human nature", as viewed by 22
the founding fathers; 23
(C) The constitutional requirement for a republican form 24
of government, including the separation of powers and federalism, and the 25
fatal tendency of democracy; 26
(D) The religious and moral beliefs held by the founding 27
fathers, whereby there is a Creator, and that man is endowed by that Creator 28
with inalienable rights; 29
(E) The definitions of "religion" held by the founding 30
fathers, particularly as found in Section 16 of the Virginia Declaration of 31
Rights; 32
(F) Why there was a demand for a Bill of Rights as a 33
condition for the adoption of the United States Constitution; 34
(G) To what extent the founding fathers recognized 35
historical events and texts, such as the Ten Commandments, the Mosaic Law, 36 As Engrossed: H3/11/25 H3/17/25 HB1705
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the New Testament, and the experiences of the ancient Hebrews, Greeks, and 1
Romans, and these teachings as a basis for American law and public policy; 2
(H) To what extent the founding fathers recognized the 3
English Common Law, the Magna Carta, and the English Bill of Rights as a 4
basis for American law and public policy; and 5
(I) How the recognition of inalienable rights in the 6
Declaration of Independence formed the framework for the abolition of slavery 7
in the United States; and 8
(4) How the freedoms enjoyed by the citizens of the United 9
States can be traced to the beliefs of the founding fathers. 10
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/s/Duke 12
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APPROVED: 4/8/25 15
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