| 1 | 1 | | 24 LC 49 1709 |
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| 2 | 2 | | Senate Bill 459 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By: Senators Dixon of the 45th, Payne of the 54th, Still of the 48th, Brass of the 28th and |
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| 4 | 4 | | Echols of the 49th |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | To amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1 |
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| 9 | 9 | | elementary and secondary education, so as to require the State Board of Education to develop2 |
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| 10 | 10 | | a comprehensive civics education program for students in kindergarten through grade 12; to3 |
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| 11 | 11 | | require the Department of Education, in consultation with the Georgia Commission on Civics4 |
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| 12 | 12 | | Education, to curate oral history resources to be known as "Portraits in Patriotism" as part5 |
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| 13 | 13 | | of such civics education program and develop civics education program workshops for public6 |
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| 14 | 14 | | school personnel; to provide for related matters; to provide for a short title; to repeal7 |
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| 15 | 15 | | conflicting laws; and for other purposes.8 |
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| 16 | 16 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:9 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SECTION 1.10 |
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| 18 | 18 | | This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Civics Education and Portraits in11 |
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| 19 | 19 | | Patriotism Act."12 |
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| 20 | 20 | | SECTION 2.13 |
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| 21 | 21 | | Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and14 |
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| 22 | 22 | | secondary education, is amended in Part 2 of Article 6, relating to competencies and core15 |
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| 23 | 23 | | S. B. 459 |
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| 24 | 24 | | - 1 - 24 LC 49 1709 |
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| 25 | 25 | | curriculum under the "Quality Basic Education Act," by adding a new Code section to read |
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| 26 | 26 | | 16 |
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| 27 | 27 | | as follows:17 |
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| 28 | 28 | | "20-2-145.2. |
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| 29 | 29 | | 18 |
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| 30 | 30 | | (a) The State Board of Education shall, by the start of the 2025-2026 school year, develop19 |
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| 31 | 31 | | a comprehensive civics education program for students in kindergarten through grade 1220 |
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| 32 | 32 | | designed to help families, civic institutions, local communities, and local boards of21 |
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| 33 | 33 | | education and other public school governing bodies prepare students to be civically22 |
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| 34 | 34 | | knowledgeable and responsible adults and to understand the importance of civic23 |
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| 35 | 35 | | involvement in a constitutional republic. Such program shall aid students in developing:24 |
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| 36 | 36 | | (1) An understanding of their shared rights and responsibilities as residents of the state25 |
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| 37 | 37 | | and of the founding principles of the United States as provided for in Code Section26 |
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| 38 | 38 | | 20-2-142.1;27 |
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| 39 | 39 | | (2) A sense of civic pride and a desire to participate regularly with government at the28 |
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| 40 | 40 | | local, state, and federal levels;29 |
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| 41 | 41 | | (3) An understanding of the process for effectively advocating before government bodies30 |
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| 42 | 42 | | and officials; and31 |
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| 43 | 43 | | (4) An understanding of the civic minded expectations of an upright and desirable32 |
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| 44 | 44 | | citizenry that recognizes and accepts responsibility for preserving and defending the33 |
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| 45 | 45 | | blessings of liberty inherited from prior generations and secured by the United States34 |
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| 46 | 46 | | Constitution.35 |
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| 47 | 47 | | (b) The Department of Education shall, in consultation with the Georgia Commission on36 |
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| 48 | 48 | | Civics Education:37 |
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| 49 | 49 | | (1) Curate oral history resources to be utilized as part of the civic education program that38 |
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| 50 | 50 | | provide portraits in patriotism based on the personal stories of diverse individuals who39 |
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| 51 | 51 | | demonstrate civic minded qualities, including first-person accounts of victims of other40 |
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| 52 | 52 | | nations' governing philosophies who can compare those philosophies with those of the41 |
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| 53 | 53 | | United States. Such oral history resources shall be known as 'Portraits in Patriotism'; and42 |
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| 54 | 54 | | S. B. 459 |
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| 55 | 55 | | - 2 - 24 LC 49 1709 |
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| 56 | 56 | | (2) Develop civics education program workshops designed for public school personnel."43 |
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| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 3.44 |
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| 58 | 58 | | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.45 |
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| 59 | 59 | | S. B. 459 |
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| 60 | 60 | | - 3 - |
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