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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to required instruction in the history 2
of Communism; amending s. 1003.42, F.S.; beginning in 3
a specified school year, requiring students to receive 4
instruction on the history of Communism; providing 5
requirements for such instruction; requiring school 6
districts to annually certify and provide evidence to 7
the Department of Education that certain req uirements 8
are met; requiring the department to prepare and offer 9
standards and curriculum for such instruction; 10
providing requirements for the standards and 11
curriculum; creating the Communism Education Task 12
Force adjunct to the department; providing the pu rpose 13
of task force; providing for membership of the task 14
force; providing duties of the task force; requiring 15
the task force to submit a report to the Governor, 16
Legislature, and department by a specified date; 17
providing for the future expiration of the ta sk force; 18
providing an effective date. 19
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 21
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Section 1. Paragraph (v) is added to subsection (2) of 23
section 1003.42, Florida Statutes, to read: 24
1003.42 Required instruction. — 25
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(2) Members of the instructional staff of the public 26
schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education 27
and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and 28
faithfully, using the books and materials required that meet the 29
highest standards for profession alism and historical accuracy, 30
following the prescribed courses of study, and employing 31
approved methods of instruction, the following: 32
(v)1. Beginning in the 2026 -2027 school year, the History 33
of Communism. Such instruction must be age appropriate and 34
developmentally appropriate and include: 35
a. The history of Communism in the United States and 36
domestic Communist movements, including their histories and 37
tactics. 38
b. Atrocities committed in foreign countries under the 39
guidance of Communism. 40
c. The philosophy and lineages of Communist thought. 41
d. The increasing threat of Communism in the United States 42
and our allies through the 20th Century, including the events of 43
the Cultural Revolution in the People's Republic of China and 44
other mass killings from Communist regimes. 45
e. The economic, industrial, and political events that 46
have preceded and anticipated Communist revolutions. 47
f. The Communist policies of Cuba and the spread of 48
Communist ideologies throughout Latin America, including the 49
roots of the Communist Party of Cuba and guerilla forces 50
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
throughout Latin America. 51
2. Each school district must annually certify and provide 52
evidence to the department, in a manner prescribed by the 53
department, that the requirements of this paragraph are met. 54
3. The department shall prepare and offer standards and 55
curriculum for the instruction required by this paragraph, based 56
upon the curriculum and standards recommended from the Communism 57
Education Task Force. 58
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The State Board of Education is encouraged to adopt standards 60
and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection. 61
Instructional programming that incorporates the values of the 62
recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor and that is 63
offered as part of a social studies, English Language Arts, or 64
other schoolwide character building and veteran awareness 65
initiative meets the requirements of paragraph (u). 66
Section 2. (1) The Communism Education Task Force, a task 67
force as defined in s. 20.03(5) , Florida Statutes, is created 68
adjunct to the Department of Education to create a curriculum 69
and academic standards for required instruction in the history 70
of Communism under s. 1003.42(2)(v), Florida Statutes, and 71
provide recommendations and instructional materials for such 72
instruction. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the 73
task force shall operate in a manner consistent with s. 20.052, 74
Florida Statutes. 75
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(2) The Governor shall appoint members to the task force 76
by August 1, 2024. The Governor shall appoint a chair to the 77
task force. 78
(3) The task force shall: 79
(a) Recommend to the department curriculum and academic 80
standards for instruction in the history of Communism required 81
under s. 1003.42(2)(v). 82
(b) Recommend instructional materials fo r instruction in 83
the history of Communism required under s. 1003.42(2)(v). 84
(c) Recommend partnerships with other organizations for 85
instruction in the history of Communism. 86
(d) Recommend if the Legislature should create a Florida 87
Museum of Communist His tory. 88
(4) No later than July 1, 2025, the task force shall 89
submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the 90
Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House 91
of Representatives, and the Department of Education. Upon 92
submission of the report, the task force shall expire. 93
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 94