California Assembly Bill AB199 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 199AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 17, 2011 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members  Cook     and Ma   Ma   and Cook  (Principal coauthor: Senator Yee) JANUARY 27, 2011  An act relating to pupil instruction.   An act to amend Section 51221.4 of the Education Code, relating to school curriculum.  LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 199, as amended,  Cook   Ma  .  Pupil instruction   School curriculum  : social sciences: Filipinos in World War II. Existing law requires the adopted course of study for grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to include instruction in social sciences, which is permitted to include instruction on World War II and the American role in that war.  Existing law encourages that instruction to include a component drawn from personal testimony of American soldiers who were involved in World War II and those men and women who contributed to the war effort on the homefront.   This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would include instruction on the role of Filipinos in World War II in the instruction of pupils in social sciences.   Existing law also encourages the required instruction in social sciences to include instruction on the Vietnam War, including the "Secret War" in Laos, and the role of Southeast Asians in that war. Those provisions encourage that instruction to include a component drawn from personal testimony of Southeast Asians who were involved in the Vietnam War and those men and women who contributed to the war effort on the homefront. School districts are required to implement this instruction in a manner that does not result in the imposition of new duties or programs.   This bill would encourage instruction in social sciences for grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to include instruction on World War II and the role of Filipinos in that war, and would encourage that instruction to include a component drawn from personal testimony, as provided.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Section 51221.4 of the   Education Code   is amended to read:  51221.4. (a) The Legislature encourages instruction in the area of social sciences, as required pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 51220,  which may   to  include instruction on the Vietnam  war   War,  including the "Secret War" in Laos  ,  and the role of Southeast Asians in that war. The Legislature encourages  that  this instruction  to  include, but not be limited to, a component drawn from personal testimony, especially in the form of oral or video  history   histories  of Southeast Asians who were involved in the Vietnam  war   War  and those men and women who contributed to the war effort on the homefront. The oral histories used as a part of the instruction regarding the role of Southeast Asians in the Vietnam  war   War  and the "Secret War" in Laos shall exemplify the personal sacrifice and courage of the wide range of ordinary citizens who were called upon to participate and provide intelligence for the United States. The oral histories shall contain the views and comments of their subjects regarding the reasons for their participation in the war. These oral histories shall also solicit comments from their subjects regarding the aftermath of the war and the immigration of Southeast Asians to the United States.  (b) (1) The Legislature encourages the instruction required pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 51220 to include instruction on World War II and the role of Filipinos in that war, consisting of an accurate history of the contributions of the Filipino American veterans who fought courageously in the United States Army for freedom and democracy in World War II under the leadership of General Douglas MacArthur.   (2) The Legislature encourages the instruction described in paragraph (1) to include a component drawn from personal testimony, especially in the form of oral or video histories of Filipinos who were involved in World War II and those men and women who contributed to the war effort on the homefront. The oral histories used as a part of the instruction regarding the role of Filipinos in World War II are encouraged to do all of the following:   (A) Exemplify the personal sacrifice and courage of the wide range of ordinary citizens who were called upon to participate and to provide intelligence for the United States.   (B) Contain the views and comments of their subjects regarding the reasons for their participation in the war.   (C) Solicit comments from their subjects regarding the aftermath of the war and the immigration of Filipinos to the United States.   (b)   (c)  This section shall be carried out in a manner that does not result in  any  new duties or programs being imposed on the school district. In that regard, the Legislature finds and declares that this section does not mandate costs to local agencies or school districts and that materials used to comply with this section shall be part of normal curriculum materials purchased by school districts in their normal course of business and purchasing cycles.  SECTION 1.   It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would include instruction on the role of Filipinos in World War II in the instruction of pupils in social sciences.