Indiana 2025 Regular Session

Indiana Senate Bill SB0257 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2	Introduced Version
3	3	SENATE BILL No. 257
4	4	_____
5	5	DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL
6	6	Citations Affected: IC 20-30.
7	7	Synopsis: Civics education. Requires certain instruction or discussion
8	8	to: (1) incorporate the universal principles of the Declaration of
9	9	Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution of the United
10	10	States; and (2) foster a national identity, heritage, and culture
11	11	established by an aspiration to certain shared principles (shared
12	12	principles). Prohibits certain instruction or discussion from fostering a
13	13	national identity, heritage, or culture that is contrary to shared
14	14	principles. Creates a process for a parent or community member to
15	15	request that a governing body investigate instruction or discussion that
16	16	the person believes is not aligned to shared principles.
17	17	Effective: July 1, 2025.
18	18	Deery
19	19	January 13, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Education and Career
20	20	Development.
21	21	2025 IN 257—LS 6777/DI 143 Introduced
22	22	First Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2025)
23	23	PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
24	24	Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type,
25	25	additions will appear in this style type, and deletions will appear in this style type.
26	26	Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional
27	27	provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in this style type. Also, the
28	28	word NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds
29	29	a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution.
30	30	Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts
31	31	between statutes enacted by the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
32	32	SENATE BILL No. 257
33	33	A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
34	34	education.
35	35	Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
36	36	1 SECTION 1. IC 20-30-5-26 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
37	37	2 AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY
38	38	3 1, 2025]: Sec. 26. (a) This section applies to each school that
39	39	4 provides instruction or discussion on the content described in the
40	40	5 following:
41	41	6 (1) Section 1 of this chapter.
42	42	7 (2) Section 2 of this chapter.
43	43	8 (3) Section 4 of this chapter.
44	44	9 (4) Section 5(a)(5) of this chapter.
45	45	10 (5) Section 6(b)(10) of this chapter.
46	46	11 (6) Section 7(a)(3) of this chapter.
47	47	12 (7) Section 7.3 of this chapter.
48	48	13 (b) The instruction or discussion described in subsection (a)
49	49	14 shall:
50	50	15 (1) incorporate the universal principles of the Declaration of
51	51	16 Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution of the
52	52	17 United States, including the principles of:
53	53	2025 IN 257—LS 6777/DI 143 2
54	54	1 (A) limited government;
55	55	2 (B) separation of powers;
56	56	3 (C) checks and balances;
57	57	4 (D) federalism;
58	58	5 (E) republicanism;
59	59	6 (F) popular sovereignty;
60	60	7 (G) the rule of law;
61	61	8 (H) natural rights; and
62	62	9 (I) individual liberty; and
63	63	10 (2) foster a national identity, heritage, and culture established
64	64	11 by a long-standing aspiration to the principles described in
65	65	12 subdivision (1).
66	66	13 (c) The instruction or discussion described in subsection (a) may
67	67	14 not foster a national identity, heritage, or culture established by:
68	68	15 (1) racial identity or racial discrimination;
69	69	16 (2) gender identity or gender discrimination;
70	70	17 (3) victimization;
71	71	18 (4) class struggle;
72	72	19 (5) a hierarchy of privileges; or
73	73	20 (6) systemic exclusion;
74	74	21 that is contrary to the concepts described in subsection (b).
75	75	22 (d) Failure of any public school teacher or principal to comply
76	76	23 with the requirements of this section constitutes misconduct in
77	77	24 office under IC 20-28-5-7.
78	78	25 SECTION 2. IC 20-30-5-27 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
79	79	26 AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY
80	80	27 1, 2025]: Sec. 27. (a) This section applies to a public school.
81	81	28 (b) The governing body of a school described in subsection (a)
82	82	29 shall establish:
83	83	30 (1) a procedure to permit a:
84	84	31 (A) parent of a student enrolled in the school; or
85	85	32 (B) community member:
86	86	33 (i) within the school district; or
87	87	34 (ii) within the school district in which the school is
88	88	35 located;
89	89	36 to submit a request to the governing body to investigate
90	90	37 instruction or discussion that the person believes is not
91	91	38 aligned to the instruction or discussion standards described in
92	92	39 section 26 of this chapter;
93	93	40 (2) a process by which to investigate a request submitted
94	94	41 under subdivision (1); and
95	95	42 (3) a response and appeal procedure for each request
96	96	2025 IN 257—LS 6777/DI 143 3
97	97	1 submitted under subdivision (1).
98	98	2 (c) If an individual described in subsection (b)(1) submits a
99	99	3 request to the governing body and appeals the governing body's
100	100	4 decision, the governing body must review the appeal at the
101	101	5 governing body's next public hearing.
102	102	6 SECTION 3. IC 20-30-16-6.5, AS ADDED BY P.L.200-2021,
103	103	7 SECTION 3, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
104	104	8 JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 6.5. The department in accordance with
105	105	9 requirements established by the state board shall approve a civics
106	106	10 course access program course that:
107	107	11 (1) meets the requirements under IC 20-30-5-2(a) and
108	108	12 IC 20-30-5-26; and
109	109	13 (2) is presented with special emphasis on the items listed in
110	110	14 IC 20-30-5-5(a) and IC 20-30-5-6(b).
111	111	2025 IN 257—LS 6777/DI 143