HLS 21RS-670 REENGROSSED
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 352
BY REPRESENTATIVES HODGES, AMEDEE, BACALA, CREWS, DESHOTEL,
ECHOLS, EDMONDS, EDMONSTON, FIRMENT, FRIEMAN, GADBERRY,
GAROFALO, HARRIS, HOLLIS, HORTON, MACK, MCFARLAND, MIGUEZ,
CHARLES OWEN, SCHAMERHORN, AND SEAB AUGH
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
CURRICULA: Provides relative to required instruction in American history and civics in
public schools
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 17:265 and to repeal R.S. 17:268, relative to required instruction
3 in public schools; to require public school governing authorities to provide
4 instruction on certain aspects of American history and civics; and to provide for
5 related matters.
6Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 17:265 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
8 ยง265. The Founding Principles of the United States of America; required instruction
9 A.(1) The governing authority of each public school that offers courses in
10 American history and civics as prerequisites to graduation shall integrate into such
11 courses instruction regarding the Founding Principles of the United States of
12 America.
13 B. (2) Such instruction shall include but need not be limited to providing
14 students with information on the following:
15 (1) (a) The Creator-endowed unalienable rights of the people.
16 (2) (b) Structure of government and separation of powers with checks and
17 balances.
18 (3) (c) Frequent and free elections in a representative government.
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1 (4) (d) Rule of law.
2 (5) (e) Equal justice under the law.
3 (6) (f) Private property rights.
4 (7) (g) Federalism.
5 (8) (h) Due process.
6 (9) (i) Individual rights as set forth in the Bill of Rights.
7 (10) (j) Individual responsibility.
8 (k) National sovereignty.
9 (l) The ideas and form of government that make the American experiment
10 unique.
11 B. Each public school governing authority shall provide age- and grade-
12 appropriate instruction in civics, including but not limited to the following founding
13 principles in grades kindergarten through eight:
14 (1) The Creator-endowed unalienable rights of the people.
15 (2) Structure of government and separation of powers with checks and
16 balances.
17 (3) Rule of law.
18 (4) Equal justice under the law.
19 (5) Due process.
20 (6) Individual rights as set forth in the Bill of Rights.
21 (7) Individual responsibility.
22 C. Textbooks and instructional materials used in the instruction required by
23 this Section shall include the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the
24 United States, the Federalist Papers, and the Gettysburg Address as primary source
25 materials and any other textbooks and instructional materials recommended by the
26 state Department of Education or approved by the public school governing authority.
27 Section 2. R.S. 17:268 is hereby repealed in its entirety.
28 Section 3. The Legislature of Louisiana finds that:
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1 (1) The purpose of civics education is to help provide a foundational
2 knowledge of the form and function of government that the founding fathers
3 established.
4 (2) The purpose of such foundational knowledge is to provide for an
5 understanding of the powers, roles, responsibilities, duties, process, and limitations
6 that entangle a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, to the
7 people.
8 (3) The founding fathers knew that in order to provide for the blessings of
9 liberty for themselves and posterity, a group of culturally diverse states, with their
10 competing interests, beliefs, and perspectives, must unite together in order to form
11 a more perfect union.
12 (4) The United States of America has always been strongest when its people
13 come together and embrace those American principles that unite us instead of the
14 issues and perspectives that can divide us.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 352 Reengrossed 2021 Regular Session Hodges
Abstract: Requires further instruction on American history and civics in public schools.
Present law requires the governing authority of each public high school offering American
history and civics as prerequisites to graduation to include specified information regarding
the founding principles of the U.S. in such courses. Proposed law retains present law and
adds the following to the list of required information in such courses:
(1)National sovereignty.
(2)The ideas and form of government that make the American experiment unique.
Proposed law requires that information on the following founding principles of the U.S. be
taught in grades kindergarten through eight:
(1)The Creator-endowed unalienable rights of the people.
(2)Structure of government and separation of powers with checks and balances.
(3)Rule of law.
(4)Equal justice under the law.
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(5)Due process.
(6)Individual rights as set forth in the Bill of Rights.
(7)Individual responsibility.
Proposed law requires that instructional materials adopted for use in public schools for such
instruction include the Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the U.S., Federalist
Papers, and Gettysburg Address.
(Amends R.S. 17:265; Repeals R.S. 17:268)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The House Floor Amendments to the engrossed bill:
1. Regarding lists of founding principles to be taught, remove certain proposed
additions and limit the ones required in K-8 instruction.
2. Require instructional materials to include certain primary historical documents.
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