The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument, were prepared by Jeanne C. Johnston.
DIGEST
SB 34 Original 2015 Regular Session Cortez
Present law, as a prerequisite to high school graduation, requires students to complete two semesters
of instruction in Civics, including a section on Free Enterprise, equal to one unit of credit.
Present law provides that for students who enter the ninth grade on or after July 1, 2014,
Government, AP US Government and Politics: Comparative, or AP US Government and Politics:
United States may be substituted for Civics and shall satisfy the Civics and Free Enterprise
instruction required by present law.
Proposed law retains present law and additionally provides for the Louisiana Civics Education
Initiative as follows:
(1)For students who enter the ninth grade on or after July 1, 2015, credit shall not be awarded
for successfully completing the course work required by present law, unless the student
correctly answers at least sixty of the one hundred questions listed in a test identical to the
civics portion of the naturalization test used by the United States Citizenship and
Immigration Services.
(2)Students shall be allowed to take the test as many times as necessary to achieve a passing
score.
(3)Public school governing authorities may determine how the test will be administered.
(4)Passage of the test shall be noted on the student's transcript.
(5)Students who are exempted by their individualized education program under the federal
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act shall not be required to take and pass the test.
Effective June 30, 2015.
(Adds R.S. 17:274.1(D))