S.B. 245
- *SB245*
SENATE BILL NO. 245–SENATORS LANGE, CRUZ-CRAWFORD;
CANNIZZARO, DALY, DOÑATE, NGUYEN, PAZINA,
SCHEIBLE AND TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 26, 2025
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JOINT SPONSORS: ASSEMBLYMEMBERS ANDERSON; AND NGUYEN
____________
Referred to Committee on Education
SUMMARY—Makes various changes relating to education.
(BDR 34-827)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: May have Fiscal Impact.
Effect on the State: Contains Appropriation not included
in Executive Budget.
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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
AN ACT relating to education; revising provisions relating to the
State Seal of Civics Program; creating the Advisory
Council on Civics Education; establishing the
membership and duties of the Council; making an
appropriation to the Nevada Center for Civic Engagement
to raise awareness of and create awards for civics
education; and providing other matters properly relating
thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Under existing law, the Superintendent of Public Instruction is required to: (1) 1
establish a State Seal of Civics Program to recognize pupils who graduate high 2
school with a high level of proficiency in civics; (2) create a State Seal of Civics to 3
affix to the diploma of such pupils; (3) establish the criteria for the Program; and 4
(4) adopt regulations that set forth the criteria to designate a school, pupil or teacher 5
or other school employee as a Nevada School of Civic Excellence, Student Civic 6
Leader or Educator Civic Leader, respectively. (NRS 388.5933, 388.5935, 7
388.5937) Section 2 of this bill creates the Advisory Council on Civics Education 8
within the Department of Education and sets forth the provisions for appointment to 9
and service on the Council. Section 3 of this bill requires the Council to: (1) assist 10
the Superintendent with the development and implementation of the State Seal of 11
Civics Program; and (2) develop and set forth certain criteria for the Program. 12
Section 4 of this bill: (1) requires the Superintendent to develop the Program in 13
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cooperation with the Council; (2) authorizes the Superintendent, in consultation 14
with the Council, to adopt any regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of 15
the Program; and (3) authorizes the Superintendent to apply for any available grants 16
and accept any donations or gifts for the support of the Program. Section 5 of this 17
bill revises the grade point average and examination requirements for a pupil to 18
receive the State Seal of Civics. Sections 5 and 6 of this bill revise provisions of 19
the Program to account for the duties of the Council. 20
Section 7 of this bill makes an appropriation to the Nevada Center for Civic 21
Engagement to raise awareness of civics education programs and create awards in 22
areas of civics education. 23
Section 8 of this bill requires the initial members of the Council to draw lots to 24
stagger their initial terms. 25
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Chapter 388 of NRS is hereby amended by adding 1
thereto the provisions set forth as sections 2 and 3 of this act. 2
Sec. 2. 1. The Advisory Council on Civics Education is 3
hereby created within the Department of Education. The Council 4
consists of: 5
(a) Two members who are appointed by the Superintendent of 6
Public Instruction and who are employees of the Department; 7
(b) Two members who are appointed by the Executive Director 8
of the Nevada Center for Civic Engagement and who are staff 9
members of the Nevada Center for Civic Engagement or its 10
successor organization; 11
(c) One member who is appointed by the Nevada Association 12
of School Administrators who is a principal of a public high 13
school; 14
(d) One member who is appointed by the Clark County 15
Education Association and who is a teacher in a public high 16
school in an urban setting in southern Nevada; and 17
(e) One member who is appointed by the Nevada State 18
Education Association and who is a teacher in a public high 19
school in a rural setting or in northern Nevada. 20
2. After the initial terms, the term of each member of the 21
Council is 2 years, and members shall serve at the pleasure of 22
their appointing authority. 23
3. Any vacancy occurring in the membership of the Council 24
must be filled in the same manner as the original appointment not 25
later than 30 days after the vacancy occurs. 26
4. The Council shall select from its members a Chair and a 27
Vice Chair who shall hold office for 1 year and who may be 28
reselected. 29
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5. The Council shall meet at the call of the Chair as often as 1
necessary to perform its duties pursuant to section 3 of this act. 2
6. A majority of the members of the Council constitutes a 3
quorum for the transaction of business, and a majority of those 4
members present at any meeting is sufficient for any official 5
action taken by the Council. 6
7. The members of the Council serve without compensation, 7
except that each member is entitled to receive the per diem 8
allowance and travel expenses provided for state officers and 9
employees generally while engaged in the official business of the 10
Council. 11
8. A member of the Council who is an officer or employee of 12
this State or a political subdivision of this State must be relieved 13
from his or her duties without loss of regular compensation to 14
prepare for and attend meetings of the Council and perform any 15
work necessary to carry out the duties of the Council in the most 16
timely manner practicable. A state agency or political subdivision 17
of this State shall not require an officer or employee who is a 18
member of the Council to: 19
(a) Make up the time he or she is absent from work to carry 20
out his or her duties as a member of the Council; or 21
(b) Take annual leave or compensatory time for the absence. 22
Sec. 3. The Advisory Council on Civics Education created by 23
section 2 of this act shall: 24
1. Assist the Superintendent of Public Instruction with the 25
development and implementation of the State Seal of Civics 26
Program established pursuant to NRS 388.5933. 27
2. Develop a process by which pupils may apply to receive the 28
State Seal of Civics. 29
3. Review applications submitted pursuant to subsection 2 30
and recommend qualifying pupils to the Superintendent of Public 31
Instruction for receipt of the State Seal of Civics. 32
4. Develop a rubric and set forth a satisfactory score to 33
determine if a pupil meets the requirements for a satisfactory score 34
in citizenship for the purposes of NRS 388.5935. 35
5. Set forth the requirements for completing a service 36
learning project for the purposes of NRS 388.5935. 37
6. Set forth the criteria to earn a designation as a Nevada 38
School of Civic Excellence, a Student Civic Leader or an Educator 39
Civic Leader. 40
7. Set forth the criteria for distributing any gifts, grants of 41
donations for the support of the State Seal of Civics Program, if 42
any, to any schools that provide civics programs pursuant to NRS 43
388.5933, 388.5935 and 388.5937 and sections 2 and 3 of this act. 44
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Sec. 4. NRS 388.5933 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1
388.5933 1. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall , 2
in cooperation with the Advisory Council on Civics Education 3
created by section 2 of this act, establish a State Seal of Civics 4
Program to recognize pupils who graduate from a public high 5
school, including, without limitation, a charter school and a 6
university school for profoundly gifted pupils, who have attained a 7
high level of proficiency in civics. 8
2. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall [:] , in 9
cooperation with the Advisory Council on Civics Education: 10
(a) Create a State Seal of Civics that may be affixed to the 11
diploma and noted on the transcript of a pupil to recognize that the 12
pupil has met the requirements of NRS 388.5935; and 13
(b) Deliver the State Seal of Civics to each school district, 14
charter school and university school for profoundly gifted pupils 15
that participates in the State Seal of Civics Program. 16
3. Any school district, charter school and university school for 17
profoundly gifted pupils may participate in the State Seal of Civics 18
Program by notifying the Superintendent of Public Instruction and 19
the Advisory Council on Civics Education of its intent to 20
participate in the Program. 21
4. Each board of trustees of a school district and governing 22
body of a charter school or university school for profoundly gifted 23
pupils that participates in the State Seal of Civics Program shall: 24
(a) Identify the pupils who have met the requirements to be 25
awarded the State Seal of Civics; and 26
(b) Affix the State Seal of Civics to the diploma and note the 27
receipt of the State Seal of Civics on the transcript of each pupil 28
who meets those requirements. 29
5. The Superintendent of Public Instruction may : 30
(a) Apply for any available grants and accept any gifts, grants 31
or donations for the support of the State Seal of Civics Program 32
and its activities pursuant to NRS 388.5933, 388.5935 and 33
388.5937 and sections 2 and 3 of this act. 34
(b) In consultation with the Advisory Council on Civics 35
Education, adopt regulations as necessary to carry out the 36
provisions of this section and NRS 388.5935. 37
Sec. 5. NRS 388.5935 is hereby amended to read as follows: 38
388.5935 [1.] A school district, charter school or university 39
school for profoundly gifted pupils that participates in the State Seal 40
of Civics Program established pursuant to NRS 388.5933 must 41
award a pupil, upon graduation from high school, a high school 42
diploma with a State Seal of Civics if the pupil: 43
[(a)] 1. Earns at least a [3.25] 2.5 grade point average on a 4.0 44
grading scale [or, if a different grading scale is used, a 3.85 45
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weighted grade point average on a] or any grading scale approved 1
by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. 2
[(b)] 2. Demonstrates proficiency in civics by earning: 3
[(1)] (a) At least 3 credits in social studies; 4
[(2)] (b) A score of at least [90] 80 percent on the 5
examination for civics required pursuant to NRS 389.009; and 6
[(3)] (c) A satisfactory score in citizenship. 7
[(c)] 3. Completes a service learning project. 8
[2. The Department shall develop a rubric and set forth a 9
satisfactory score to determine if a pupil meets the requirements for 10
a satisfactory score in citizenship for the purposes of subparagraph 11
(3) of paragraph (b) of subsection 1. 12
3. The Department shall provide guidance to public schools 13
regarding the requirements for completing a service learning project 14
for the purposes of paragraph (c) of subsection 1.] 15
Sec. 6. NRS 388.5937 is hereby amended to read as follows: 16
388.5937 [1.] The Superintendent of Public Instruction may 17
designate: 18
[(a)] 1. A school district, charter school or university school 19
for profoundly gifted pupils as a Nevada School of Civic 20
Excellence; 21
[(b)] 2. A pupil as a Student Civic Leader; or 22
[(c)] 3. A teacher or other school employee as an Educator 23
Civic Leader. 24
[2. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall adopt 25
regulations that set forth the criteria to earn a designation pursuant 26
to subsection 1.] 27
Sec. 7. 1. There is hereby appropriated from the State 28
General Fund to the Nevada Center for Civic Engagement the sum 29
of $20,000 to raise awareness of civics education programs, 30
including, without limitation, creating an Internet website containing 31
information about civics education programs, distributing brochures 32
and educational materials on civics education programs to students, 33
teachers, school administrators and parents or guardians of students 34
and creating awards in areas of civics education. 35
2. Upon acceptance of the money appropriated by subsection 1, 36
the Nevada Center for Civic Engagement agrees to: 37
(a) Prepare and transmit a report to the Interim Finance 38
Committee on or before December 18, 2026, that describes each 39
expenditure made from the money appropriated by subsection 1 40
from the date on which the money was received by the Nevada 41
Center for Civic Engagement through December 1, 2026; 42
(b) Prepare and transmit a final report to the Interim Finance 43
Committee on or before September 17, 2027, that describes each 44
expenditure made from the money appropriated by subsection 1 45
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from the date on which the money was received by Nevada Center 1
for Civic Engagement through June 30, 2027; and 2
(c) Upon request of the Legislative Commission, make available 3
to the Legislative Auditor any of the books, accounts, claims, 4
reports, vouchers or other records of information, confidential or 5
otherwise, of the Nevada Center for Civic Engagement, regardless 6
of their form or location, that the Legislative Auditor deems 7
necessary to conduct an audit of the use of the money appropriated 8
by subsection 1. 9
3. Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by 10
subsection 1 must not be committed for expenditure after June 30, 11
2027, by the entity to which the appropriation is made or any entity 12
to which money from the appropriation is granted or otherwise 13
transferred in any manner, and any portion of the appropriated 14
money remaining must not be spent for any purpose after 15
September 17, 2027, by either the entity to which the money was 16
appropriated or the entity to which the money was subsequently 17
granted or transferred, and must be reverted to the State General 18
Fund on or before September 17, 2027. 19
Sec. 8. Upon appointment of all the members of the Advisory 20
Council on Civics Education pursuant to section 2 of this act, the 21
members shall draw lots to stagger the terms of the initial members 22
so that: 23
1. Three members of the Advisory Council serve an initial term 24
of 1 year; and 25
2. Four members of the Advisory Council serve an initial term 26
of 2 years. 27
Sec. 9. 1. This section becomes effective upon passage and 28
approval. 29
2. Section 7 of this act becomes effective on July 1, 2025. 30
3. Sections 1 to 6, inclusive, and section 8 of this act become 31
effective on October 1, 2025. 32
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