Senate File 2048 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2048 BY ZAUN A BILL FOR An Act modifying provisions related to the social studies 1 instruction provided to students enrolled in grades one 2 through twelve in school districts by creating celebrate 3 freedom week. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 5680XS (3) 90 jda/jh
S.F. 2048 Section 1. Section 256.11, subsections 3 and 4, Code 2024, 1 are amended to read as follows: 2 3. a. The following areas shall be taught in grades 3 one through six: English-language arts, social studies, 4 mathematics, science, health, physical education, traffic 5 safety, music, visual art, and, subject to section 279.80 , 6 age-appropriate and research-based human growth and 7 development. Computer science instruction incorporating 8 the standards established under section 256.7, subsection 9 26 , paragraph a , subparagraph (4), shall be offered in 10 at least one grade level commencing with the school year 11 beginning July 1, 2023. The health curriculum shall include 12 the characteristics of communicable diseases. The state board 13 as part of accreditation standards shall adopt curriculum 14 definitions for implementing the elementary program. 15 b. (1) The social studies curriculum shall include, during 16 the week in which September 17 falls, or during another full 17 school week as determined by the board of directors of a 18 school district, instruction related to the original intent, 19 meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence, 20 the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights 21 contained in the Constitution, within the historical contexts 22 of such founding documents. 23 (2) The instruction related to the Declaration of 24 Independence described in subparagraph (1) shall include an 25 examination of the relationship between the ideas expressed in 26 the Declaration of Independence and the subsequent history of 27 the United States, including the United States being a nation 28 of immigrants, the American revolution, the formulation of 29 the Constitution of the United States, and the abolitionist 30 movement, which led to the Emancipation Proclamation and the 31 womens suffrage movement. 32 (3) The instruction described in subparagraphs (1) and (2) 33 shall not censor any religious references in the writings of 34 the founding fathers. 35 -1- LSB 5680XS (3) 90 jda/jh 1/ 6
S.F. 2048 (4) (a) The instruction described in this paragraph 1 shall require students enrolled in grades three through six 2 to study and recite the following portion of the Declaration 3 of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident, 4 that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their 5 Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are 6 Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure 7 these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving 8 their just powers from the consent of the governed. 9 (b) The board of directors of a school district shall not 10 require a student to recite a portion of the Declaration of 11 Independence, as required in subparagraph division (a), if any 12 of the following apply: 13 (i) The students parent or guardian submits to the school 14 district a written request that the student be excused from 15 such recitation. 16 (ii) The school district determines that the student has a 17 conscientious objection to the recitation. 18 (iii) The student is the child of a representative of a 19 foreign government to whom diplomatic immunity has been awarded 20 pursuant to the federal Diplomatic Relations Act of 1978, as 21 codified at 22 U.S.C. 254a et seq. 22 c. Paragraph b shall not apply to a nonpublic school. 23 4. a. The following shall be taught in grades seven and 24 eight: English-language arts; social studies; mathematics; 25 science; health; age-appropriate and research-based human 26 growth and development; career exploration and development; 27 physical education; music; and visual art. Computer science 28 instruction incorporating the standards established under 29 section 256.7, subsection 26 , paragraph a , subparagraph (4), 30 shall be offered in at least one grade level commencing with 31 the school year beginning July 1, 2023. Career exploration 32 and development shall be designed so that students are 33 appropriately prepared to create an individual career 34 and academic plan pursuant to section 279.61 , incorporate 35 -2- LSB 5680XS (3) 90 jda/jh 2/ 6
S.F. 2048 foundational career and technical education concepts aligned 1 with the six career and technical education service areas as 2 defined in subsection 5 , paragraph h , incorporate relevant 3 twenty-first century skills to facilitate career readiness, 4 and introduce students to career opportunities within the 5 local community and across this state. The health curriculum 6 shall include age-appropriate and research-based information 7 regarding the characteristics of sexually transmitted diseases. 8 The state board as part of accreditation standards shall adopt 9 curriculum definitions for implementing the program in grades 10 seven and eight. However, this subsection shall not apply to 11 the teaching of career exploration and development in nonpublic 12 schools. 13 b. (1) The social studies curriculum shall include, during 14 the week in which September 17 falls, or during another full 15 school week as determined by the board of directors of a 16 school district, instruction related to the original intent, 17 meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence, 18 the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights 19 contained in the Constitution, within the historical contexts 20 of such founding documents. 21 (2) The instruction related to the Declaration of 22 Independence described in subparagraph (1) shall include an 23 examination of the relationship between the ideas expressed in 24 the Declaration of Independence and the subsequent history of 25 the United States, including the United States being a nation 26 of immigrants, the American revolution, the formulation of 27 the Constitution of the United States, and the abolitionist 28 movement, which led to the Emancipation Proclamation and the 29 womens suffrage movement. 30 (3) The instruction described in subparagraphs (1) and (2) 31 shall not censor any religious references in the writings of 32 the founding fathers. 33 (4) (a) The instruction described in this paragraph shall 34 require students to study and recite the following portion of 35 -3- LSB 5680XS (3) 90 jda/jh 3/ 6
S.F. 2048 the Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be 1 self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are 2 endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that 3 among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. 4 That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted 5 among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the 6 governed. 7 (b) The board of directors of a school district shall not 8 require a student to recite a portion of the Declaration of 9 Independence, as required in subparagraph division (a), if any 10 of the following apply: 11 (i) The students parent or guardian submits to the school 12 district a written request that the student be excused from 13 such recitation. 14 (ii) The school district determines that the student has a 15 conscientious objection to the recitation. 16 (iii) The student is the child of a representative of a 17 foreign government to whom diplomatic immunity has been awarded 18 pursuant to the federal Diplomatic Relations Act of 1978, as 19 codified at 22 U.S.C. 254a et seq. 20 c. Paragraph b shall not apply to a nonpublic school. 21 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph b, Code 22 2024, is amended to read as follows: 23 b. Five units of the social studies including instruction 24 in voting statutes and procedures, voter registration 25 requirements, the use of paper ballots and voting systems in 26 the election process, and the method of acquiring and casting 27 an absentee ballot. All students shall complete a minimum 28 of one-half unit of United States government and one unit of 29 United States history. 30 (1) The one-half unit of United States government shall 31 include the voting procedure as described in this lettered 32 paragraph and section 280.9A . The government instruction shall 33 also include a study of the Constitution of the United States 34 and the Bill of Rights contained in the Constitution and an 35 -4- LSB 5680XS (3) 90 jda/jh 4/ 6
S.F. 2048 assessment of a students knowledge of the Constitution and the 1 Bill of Rights. 2 (2) (a) The one unit of United States history shall 3 include, during the week in which September 17 falls, or 4 during another full school week as determined by the board of 5 directors of a school district, instruction related to the 6 original intent, meaning, and importance of the Declaration 7 of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and 8 the Bill of Rights contained in the Constitution, within the 9 historical contexts of such founding documents. 10 (b) The instruction related to the Declaration of 11 Independence described in subparagraph division (a) shall 12 include an examination of the relationship between the ideas 13 expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the subsequent 14 history of the United States, including the United States 15 being a nation of immigrants, the American revolution, the 16 formulation of the Constitution of the United States, and 17 the abolitionist movement, which led to the Emancipation 18 Proclamation and the womens suffrage movement. 19 (c) The instruction described in subparagraph divisions 20 (a) and (b) shall not censor any religious references in the 21 writings of the founding fathers. 22 (d) (i) The instruction described in this subparagraph 23 shall require students to study and recite the following 24 portion of the Declaration of Independence: We hold these 25 truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that 26 they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable 27 Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit 28 of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are 29 instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the 30 consent of the governed. 31 (ii) The board of directors of a school district shall not 32 require a student to recite a portion of the Declaration of 33 Independence, as required in subparagraph subdivision (i), if 34 any of the following apply: 35 -5- LSB 5680XS (3) 90 jda/jh 5/ 6
S.F. 2048 (A) The students parent or guardian submits to the school 1 district a written request that the student be excused from 2 such recitation. 3 (B) The school district determines that the student has a 4 conscientious objection to the recitation. 5 (C) The student is the child of a representative of a 6 foreign government to whom diplomatic immunity has been awarded 7 pursuant to the federal Diplomatic Relations Act of 1978, as 8 codified at 22 U.S.C. 254a et seq. 9 (3) Subparagraph (2) shall not apply to a nonpublic school. 10 EXPLANATION 11 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 12 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 13 This bill modifies provisions related to the social studies 14 instruction provided to students enrolled in grades 1 through 15 12 in school districts. 16 The bill requires that the social studies curriculum 17 provided to students enrolled in grades one through eight, and 18 the one unit of United States history instruction provided as 19 part of the social studies curriculum to students enrolled in 20 grades 9 through 12, include during the week in which September 21 17 falls, or during another full school week as determined 22 by the board of directors of a school district, instruction 23 related to the original intent, meaning, and importance of the 24 Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United 25 States, and the Bill of Rights contained in the Constitution. 26 The bill requires such instruction to include an examination of 27 the relationship between the ideas expressed in the Declaration 28 of Independence and the subsequent history of the United 29 States. The bill prohibits such instruction from censoring any 30 religious references in the writings of the founding fathers. 31 The bill requires such instruction to include, in grades 3 32 through 12, a recitation of a portion of the Declaration of 33 Independence, with limited exceptions for certain specified 34 students. 35 -6- LSB 5680XS (3) 90 jda/jh 6/ 6