| 15 | | - | An act relating to religious and patriotic expression 2 |
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| 16 | | - | in the public school system ; amending s. 1002.205, 3 |
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| 17 | | - | F.S.; requiring specified information to be provided 4 |
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| 18 | | - | to certain persons relating to religious expression 5 |
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| 19 | | - | and liberties in public schools; amending s. 1003.44, 6 |
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| 20 | | - | F.S.; revising requirements for the display of the 7 |
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| 21 | | - | state motto, "In God We Trust," in certain schools and 8 |
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| 22 | | - | buildings; providing an effective date. 9 |
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| 23 | | - | 10 |
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| 24 | | - | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 11 |
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| 25 | | - | 12 |
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| 26 | | - | Section 1. Section 1002.205, Florida Statutes, is amended 13 |
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| 27 | | - | to read: 14 |
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| 28 | | - | 1002.205 Guidelines on religious expression; 15 |
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| 29 | | - | distribution.—The Department of Education shall each year 16 |
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| 30 | | - | distribute for infor mational purposes to all district school 17 |
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| 31 | | - | board members, district school superintendents, school 18 |
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| 32 | | - | principals, and teachers the entire "Guidance guidelines on 19 |
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| 33 | | - | Constitutionally Protected Prayer and "Religious Expression in 20 |
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| 34 | | - | Public Elementary and Secondary Schools" published by the United 21 |
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| 35 | | - | States Department of Education, as updated from time to time , 22 |
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| 36 | | - | and the model policy required by the Florida Student and School 23 |
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| 37 | | - | Personnel Religious Liberties Act in s. 1002.206(6) . 24 |
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| 38 | | - | Section 2. Subsection (4) of section 1003.44, Florida 25 |
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| 15 | + | An act relating to religious expression and classroom 2 |
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| 16 | + | requirements in K-12 schools; providing short titles; 3 |
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| 17 | + | prohibiting a school district from discriminating 4 |
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| 18 | + | against students, parents, or school personnel on the 5 |
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| 19 | + | basis of religious viewpoints or religious expression; 6 |
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| 20 | + | prohibiting penalty or reward for a student's 7 |
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| 21 | + | religious expression in coursework, artwork, and other 8 |
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| 22 | + | specified assignments; authorizing a student t o wear 9 |
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| 23 | + | clothing, accessories, and jewelry that display 10 |
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| 24 | + | religious messages or symbols; authorizing a student 11 |
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| 25 | + | to pray or engage in religious activities or 12 |
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| 26 | + | expression; authorizing school personnel to engage in 13 |
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| 27 | + | such activities or expression with a student unde r 14 |
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| 28 | + | specified circumstances; authorizing a student to 15 |
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| 29 | + | organize prayer groups, religious clubs, and other 16 |
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| 30 | + | religious gatherings; prohibiting a school district 17 |
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| 31 | + | from preventing school personnel from participating in 18 |
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| 32 | + | voluntary, student-initiated religious activit ies on 19 |
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| 33 | + | school grounds under specified circumstances; 20 |
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| 34 | + | requiring that a school district provide religious 21 |
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| 35 | + | groups with equal access to school facilities; 22 |
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| 36 | + | authorizing religious groups to advertise or announce 23 |
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| 37 | + | meetings in the same manner and to the same extent as 24 |
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| 38 | + | secular groups; requiring that a school district adopt 25 |
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| 51 | | - | Statutes, is amended to read: 26 |
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| 52 | | - | 1003.44 Patriotic programs; rules. — 27 |
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| 53 | | - | (4) Each district school board shall adopt rules to 28 |
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| 54 | | - | require, in all of the schools of the district and in each 29 |
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| 55 | | - | building used by the district school board, the display of the 30 |
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| 56 | | - | state motto, "In God We Trust," designated under s. 15.0301, in 31 |
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| 57 | | - | a clearly visible location and public area of the school which 32 |
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| 58 | | - | is readily accessible to and widely used by students and in a 33 |
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| 59 | | - | clearly visible location and public area of each building used 34 |
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| 60 | | - | by the district school board conspicuous place. 35 |
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| 61 | | - | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 36 |
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| 51 | + | a limited public forum policy and deliver a disclaimer 26 |
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| 52 | + | at school events; requiring the Department of 27 |
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| 53 | + | Education to develop and publish a model policy 28 |
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| 54 | + | regarding a limited public forum and religious 29 |
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| 55 | + | expression; requiring that each district school board 30 |
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| 56 | + | adopt and implement such model policy; amending s. 31 |
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| 57 | + | 1003.44, F.S.; requiring the national anthem to be 32 |
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| 58 | + | played at the beginning of each school day after the 33 |
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| 59 | + | completion of the moment of silence; requiring 34 |
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| 60 | + | students to be provided written notice of the right to 35 |
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| 61 | + | not participate in specified activities; requiring 36 |
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| 62 | + | students to be excused from specified activities upon 37 |
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| 63 | + | written request; authorizing excused students to stand 38 |
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| 64 | + | outside the classroom door for specified ac tivities; 39 |
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| 65 | + | requiring such students to immediately return to the 40 |
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| 66 | + | classroom after such activities; requiring public 41 |
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| 67 | + | schools to comply with certain provisions by a 42 |
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| 68 | + | specified date; providing penalties for noncompliance; 43 |
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| 69 | + | requiring school districts to conduct a p ublic 44 |
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| 70 | + | awareness campaign for specified purposes; providing 45 |
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| 71 | + | requirements for the display of the state motto in 46 |
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| 72 | + | certain portions of schools; requiring the department 47 |
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| 73 | + | to provide certain materials; providing an effective 48 |
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| 74 | + | date. 49 |
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| 75 | + | 50 |
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| 76 | + | |
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| 77 | + | HB 1009 2025 |
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| 78 | + | |
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| 79 | + | |
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| 80 | + | |
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| 81 | + | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
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| 82 | + | hb1009-00 |
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| 83 | + | Page 3 of 9 |
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| 84 | + | 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 |
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| 85 | + | |
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| 86 | + | |
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| 87 | + | |
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| 88 | + | Be It Enacted by the Legisla ture of the State of Florida: 51 |
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| 89 | + | 52 |
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| 90 | + | Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Florida Religious 53 |
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| 91 | + | Liberty Awareness and Activation Act." 54 |
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| 92 | + | Section 2. Religious expression in public schools. — 55 |
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| 93 | + | (1) This section may be cited as the "Florida Student and 56 |
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| 94 | + | School Personnel Religious Liberties Act." 57 |
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| 95 | + | (2) A school district may not discriminate against a 58 |
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| 96 | + | student, parent, or school personnel on the basis of a religious 59 |
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| 97 | + | viewpoint or religious expression. A school district shall treat 60 |
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| 98 | + | a student's voluntary expression of a religious viewpoint on an 61 |
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| 99 | + | otherwise permissible subject in the same manner that the school 62 |
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| 100 | + | district treats a student's voluntary expression of a secular 63 |
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| 101 | + | viewpoint. 64 |
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| 102 | + | (3)(a) A student may express his or her religious beliefs 65 |
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| 103 | + | in coursework, artwork, and o ther written and oral assignments 66 |
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| 104 | + | free from discrimination. A student's homework and classroom 67 |
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| 105 | + | assignments shall be evaluated, regardless of their religious 68 |
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| 106 | + | content, based on expected academic standards relating to the 69 |
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| 107 | + | course curriculum and requirements. A student may not be 70 |
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| 108 | + | penalized or rewarded based on the religious content of his or 71 |
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| 109 | + | her work if the coursework, artwork, or other written or oral 72 |
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| 110 | + | assignments require a student's viewpoint to be expressed. 73 |
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| 111 | + | (b) A student may wear clothing, accessories, and jewelry 74 |
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| 112 | + | that display a religious message or symbol in the same manner 75 |
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| 113 | + | |
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| 114 | + | HB 1009 2025 |
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| 115 | + | |
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| 116 | + | |
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| 117 | + | |
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| 118 | + | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
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| 120 | + | Page 4 of 9 |
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| 121 | + | 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 |
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| 122 | + | |
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| 123 | + | |
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| 124 | + | |
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| 125 | + | and to the same extent that clothing, accessories, and jewelry 76 |
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| 126 | + | that display a secular message or symbol are permitted to be 77 |
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| 127 | + | worn. 78 |
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| 128 | + | (4)(a) A student may pray or engage in religious 79 |
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| 129 | + | activities or expression before, during, and after the school 80 |
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| 130 | + | day in the same manner and to the same extent that a student may 81 |
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| 131 | + | engage in secular activities or expression. School personnel, 82 |
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| 132 | + | including classroom teachers and athletic coaches, may pray or 83 |
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| 133 | + | engage in religious activities or expression s with a student if 84 |
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| 134 | + | such prayer or religious activity or expression does not occur 85 |
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| 135 | + | during instructional time. A student may organize prayer groups, 86 |
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| 136 | + | religious clubs, and other religious gatherings before, during, 87 |
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| 137 | + | and after the school day in the same manner and to the same 88 |
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| 138 | + | extent that a student is permitted to organize secular 89 |
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| 139 | + | activities and groups. 90 |
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| 140 | + | (b)1. A school district may not prevent school personnel 91 |
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| 141 | + | from participating in religious activities on school grounds 92 |
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| 142 | + | that are initiated by students at reasonable times before or 93 |
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| 143 | + | after the school day if such activities are voluntary and do not 94 |
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| 144 | + | conflict with the responsibilities or assignments of such 95 |
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| 145 | + | personnel. 96 |
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| 146 | + | 2. A school district shall comply with the federal 97 |
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| 147 | + | requirements in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which 98 |
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| 148 | + | prohibit an employer from discriminating against an employee on 99 |
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| 149 | + | the basis of religion. 100 |
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| 150 | + | |
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| 151 | + | HB 1009 2025 |
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| 152 | + | |
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| 153 | + | |
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| 154 | + | |
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| 155 | + | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
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| 157 | + | Page 5 of 9 |
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| 158 | + | 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 |
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| 159 | + | |
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| 160 | + | |
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| 161 | + | |
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| 162 | + | (c) A school district shall provide a religious group with 101 |
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| 163 | + | access to the same school facilities for assembling as pro vided 102 |
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| 164 | + | to secular groups without discrimination based on the religious 103 |
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| 165 | + | content of the group's expression. A group that meets for prayer 104 |
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| 166 | + | or other religious speech may advertise or announce its meetings 105 |
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| 167 | + | in the same manner and to the same extent that a secular group 106 |
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| 168 | + | may advertise or announce its meetings. 107 |
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| 169 | + | (5)(a) A school district shall adopt a policy that 108 |
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| 170 | + | establishes a limited public forum for student speakers at any 109 |
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| 171 | + | school event at which a student is to speak publicly. The 110 |
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| 172 | + | limited public forum policy shall r equire the school district 111 |
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| 173 | + | to: 112 |
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| 174 | + | 1. Provide the forum in a manner that does not 113 |
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| 175 | + | discriminate against a student's voluntary expression of a 114 |
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| 176 | + | religious viewpoint on an otherwise permissible subject; 115 |
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| 177 | + | 2. Provide a method based on neutral criteria for the 116 |
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| 178 | + | selection of student speakers at school events, activities, and 117 |
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| 179 | + | graduation ceremonies; 118 |
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| 180 | + | 3. Ensure that a student speaker does not engage in 119 |
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| 181 | + | obscene, vulgar, offensively lewd, or indecent speech; and 120 |
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| 182 | + | 4. State in written or oral form that the student's sp eech 121 |
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| 183 | + | does not reflect the endorsement, sponsorship, position, or 122 |
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| 184 | + | expression of the school district. 123 |
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| 185 | + | (b) The school district shall deliver the disclaimer 124 |
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| 186 | + | required in subparagraph (a)4. at all graduation events and any 125 |
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| 187 | + | |
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| 188 | + | HB 1009 2025 |
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| 189 | + | |
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| 190 | + | |
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| 191 | + | |
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| 192 | + | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
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| 194 | + | Page 6 of 9 |
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| 195 | + | 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 |
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| 196 | + | |
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| 197 | + | |
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| 198 | + | |
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| 199 | + | other event at which a student speaks publicly. 126 |
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| 200 | + | (c) Student expression of a religious viewpoint on an 127 |
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| 201 | + | otherwise permissible subject may not be excluded from the 128 |
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| 202 | + | limited public forum. 129 |
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| 203 | + | (6) The Department of Education shall develop a model 130 |
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| 204 | + | policy regarding a limited public forum and voluntar y expression 131 |
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| 205 | + | of religious viewpoints by students and school personnel in 132 |
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| 206 | + | public schools pursuant to this section. The department shall 133 |
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| 207 | + | publish the model policy on its website. Each district school 134 |
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| 208 | + | board shall adopt and implement the department's model poli cy. 135 |
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| 209 | + | Section 3. Subsections (1) and (4) of section 1003.44, 136 |
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| 210 | + | Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 137 |
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| 211 | + | 1003.44 Patriotic programs; rules. — 138 |
|---|
| 212 | + | (1)(a)1. Each district school board may adopt rules to 139 |
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| 213 | + | require, in all of the schools of the district, programs of a 140 |
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| 214 | + | patriotic nature to encourage greater respect for the government 141 |
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| 215 | + | of the United States and its national anthem and flag, subject 142 |
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| 216 | + | always to other existing pertinent laws of the United States or 143 |
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| 217 | + | of the state. 144 |
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| 218 | + | 2. The national anthem must be played at the beginning of 145 |
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| 219 | + | each school day after the completion of the moment of silence 146 |
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| 220 | + | pursuant to s. 1003.45. When the national anthem is played, 147 |
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| 221 | + | students and all civilians shall stand at attention, men 148 |
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| 222 | + | removing the headdress, except when such headdress is worn for 149 |
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| 223 | + | religious purposes. 150 |
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| 224 | + | |
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| 225 | + | HB 1009 2025 |
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| 226 | + | |
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| 227 | + | |
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| 228 | + | |
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| 229 | + | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
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| 230 | + | hb1009-00 |
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| 231 | + | Page 7 of 9 |
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| 232 | + | 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 |
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| 233 | + | |
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| 234 | + | |
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| 235 | + | |
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| 236 | + | 3. The pledge of allegiance to the flag, "I pledge 151 |
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| 237 | + | allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to 152 |
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| 238 | + | the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, 153 |
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| 239 | + | indivisible, with liberty and justice for all," shall be 154 |
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| 240 | + | rendered by students standing with the right hand over the 155 |
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| 241 | + | heart. The pledge of allegiance to the flag shall be recited at 156 |
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| 242 | + | the beginning of the day in each public elementary, middle, and 157 |
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| 243 | + | high school in the state. Each student shall be informed by a 158 |
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| 244 | + | written notice published in the student handbook or a similar 159 |
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| 245 | + | publication pursuant to s. 1006.07(2) that the student has the 160 |
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| 246 | + | right not to participate in reciting the pledge. Upon written 161 |
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| 247 | + | request by his or her parent, the student must be excused from 162 |
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| 248 | + | reciting the pledge, i ncluding standing and placing the right 163 |
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| 249 | + | hand over his or her heart. When the pledge is given, unexcused 164 |
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| 250 | + | students must show full respect to the flag by standing at 165 |
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| 251 | + | attention, men removing the headdress, except when such 166 |
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| 252 | + | headdress is worn for religious purpo ses, as provided by Pub. L. 167 |
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| 253 | + | ch. 77-435, s. 7, approved June 22, 1942, 56 Stat. 377, as 168 |
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| 254 | + | amended by Pub. L. ch. 77 -806, 56 Stat. 1074, approved December 169 |
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| 255 | + | 22, 1942. 170 |
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| 256 | + | 4. Each student shall be informed by a written notice 171 |
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| 257 | + | published in the student handbook or a similar publication 172 |
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| 258 | + | pursuant to s. 1006.07(2) that the student has the right not to 173 |
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| 259 | + | participate in singing the national anthem, reciting the pledge, 174 |
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| 260 | + | or the moment of silence in s. 1003.45. Upon written request by 175 |
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| 261 | + | |
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| 262 | + | HB 1009 2025 |
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| 263 | + | |
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| 264 | + | |
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| 265 | + | |
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| 266 | + | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
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| 268 | + | Page 8 of 9 |
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| 269 | + | 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 |
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| 270 | + | |
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| 271 | + | |
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| 272 | + | |
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| 273 | + | his or her parent, the student must be excused from singing the 176 |
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| 274 | + | national anthem, reciting the pledge, including standing and 177 |
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| 275 | + | placing the right hand over his or her heart , or the moment of 178 |
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| 276 | + | silence in s. 1003.45. Each morning, before singing the national 179 |
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| 277 | + | anthem, reciting the pledge, and the momen t of silence, a 180 |
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| 278 | + | moderator must announce that all excused students may leave the 181 |
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| 279 | + | classroom and stand outside the classroom door. Such students 182 |
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| 280 | + | must immediately return to the classroom after such activities. 183 |
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| 281 | + | 5. Each school within a school district must com ply with 184 |
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| 282 | + | the requirements of this paragraph by October 1, 2025. A school 185 |
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| 283 | + | that is not in compliance with such requirements by such date, 186 |
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| 284 | + | shall receive a warning from the department to comply within 30 187 |
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| 285 | + | days. If the school fails to comply within the 30 -day period, 188 |
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| 286 | + | the district school superintendent shall be officially 189 |
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| 287 | + | reprimanded by the department for the school's noncompliance. 190 |
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| 288 | + | The department shall refer the school district to the State 191 |
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| 289 | + | Board of Education. The state board has the sole authority to 192 |
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| 290 | + | further review the school's noncompliance and take any actions 193 |
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| 291 | + | deemed necessary until the school complies with the requirements 194 |
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| 292 | + | of this paragraph. 195 |
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| 293 | + | (b) Each school district shall conduct a public awareness 196 |
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| 294 | + | campaign about the display of the state motto, "In God We 197 |
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| 295 | + | Trust," in district schools and buildings pursuant to subsection 198 |
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| 296 | + | (4), the inclusion of a moment of silence at the beginning of 199 |
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| 297 | + | each school day pursuant to s. 1003.45 , and religious expression 200 |
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| 298 | + | |
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| 299 | + | HB 1009 2025 |
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| 306 | + | 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 |
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| 307 | + | |
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| 308 | + | |
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| 309 | + | |
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| 310 | + | in public schools as authorized by general law . 201 |
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| 311 | + | (4)(a) Each district school board shall adopt rules to 202 |
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| 312 | + | require, in all of the schools of the district and in each 203 |
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| 313 | + | building used by the district school board, the display of the 204 |
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| 314 | + | state motto, "In God We Trust," designated under s. 15.0301, in 205 |
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| 315 | + | a conspicuous place. 206 |
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| 316 | + | (b) The state motto, "In God We Trust," must be displayed 207 |
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| 317 | + | on a 22 inch by 28 inch posterboard in a conspicuous location in 208 |
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| 318 | + | each school library, cafeteria, gymnasium, and main office. The 209 |
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| 319 | + | department shall provide the posterboards required under this 210 |
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| 320 | + | paragraph. 211 |
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| 321 | + | Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 212 |
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