| 4 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 4 | | HOUSE BILL 291 |
|---|
| 6 | 5 | | By Gant |
|---|
| 7 | 6 | | |
|---|
| 8 | 7 | | |
|---|
| 9 | 8 | | HB0291 |
|---|
| 10 | 9 | | 001793 |
|---|
| 11 | 10 | | - 1 - |
|---|
| 12 | 11 | | |
|---|
| 13 | 12 | | AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, |
|---|
| 14 | 13 | | Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, |
|---|
| 15 | 14 | | Chapter 9, relative to higher education. |
|---|
| 16 | 15 | | |
|---|
| 17 | 16 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: |
|---|
| 18 | 17 | | SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 1, is amended by |
|---|
| 19 | 18 | | adding the following as a new section: |
|---|
| 20 | 19 | | (a) The institute of American civics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville |
|---|
| 21 | 20 | | shall develop materials and curricula for a baccalaureate degree program that meets the |
|---|
| 22 | 21 | | requirements of this subsection (a) and distribute the materials and curricula developed |
|---|
| 23 | 22 | | to each public institution of higher education in this state. The curricula must be for a |
|---|
| 24 | 23 | | course of instruction that is three (3) semester hours, or the equivalent, in American |
|---|
| 25 | 24 | | government or American history that provides a comprehensive overview of the major |
|---|
| 26 | 25 | | events and turning points of American history and government and, at a minimum, |
|---|
| 27 | 26 | | includes:ยท |
|---|
| 28 | 27 | | (1) An understanding of the United States Constitution; |
|---|
| 29 | 28 | | (2) An understanding of the Declaration of Independence; |
|---|
| 30 | 29 | | (3) An understanding of a minimum of five (5) essays from the Federalist |
|---|
| 31 | 30 | | Papers as selected by the course instructor; |
|---|
| 32 | 31 | | (4) An understanding of the Emancipation Proclamation; |
|---|
| 33 | 32 | | (5) An understanding of the Gettysburg Address; |
|---|
| 34 | 33 | | (6) An understanding of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s letter from |
|---|
| 35 | 34 | | Birmingham jail; and |
|---|
| 36 | 35 | | |
|---|
| 37 | 36 | | |
|---|
| 38 | 37 | | - 2 - 001793 |
|---|
| 39 | 38 | | |
|---|
| 40 | 39 | | (7) An understanding of at least one (1) additional document that is |
|---|
| 41 | 40 | | foundational to the African-American freedom struggle. |
|---|
| 42 | 41 | | (b) Each public institution of higher education that offers a baccalaureate degree |
|---|
| 43 | 42 | | program shall offer a course of instruction that includes the curricula developed pursuant |
|---|
| 44 | 43 | | to subsection (a) beginning no later than the 2025-2026 academic year. A public |
|---|
| 45 | 44 | | institution of higher education shall ensure that the course of instruction includes the |
|---|
| 46 | 45 | | administration of a cumulative final examination at the conclusion of the course, testing a |
|---|
| 47 | 46 | | student's proficiency on the documents described in subdivisions (a)(1)-(7). |
|---|
| 48 | 47 | | (c) |
|---|
| 49 | 48 | | (1) Beginning with the entering freshmen in the 2025-2026 academic |
|---|
| 50 | 49 | | year, each student of a public institution of higher education shall complete at |
|---|
| 51 | 50 | | least three (3) semester hours, or the equivalent, of a course of instruction that is |
|---|
| 52 | 51 | | offered pursuant to subsection (b) prior to the student obtaining a baccalaureate |
|---|
| 53 | 52 | | degree from a public institution of higher education, except as provided in |
|---|
| 54 | 53 | | subdivision (c)(2). |
|---|
| 55 | 54 | | (2) A student who completes at least three (3) semester hours, or the |
|---|
| 56 | 55 | | equivalent, in an advanced placement, international baccalaureate, or dual credit |
|---|
| 57 | 56 | | course for which the instruction includes the requirements of subdivisions (a)(1)- |
|---|
| 58 | 57 | | (7) and the course included the administration of a cumulative final examination |
|---|
| 59 | 58 | | at the conclusion of the course, testing a student's proficiency on the documents |
|---|
| 60 | 59 | | described in subdivisions (a)(1)-(7), satisfies the requirements of subdivision |
|---|
| 61 | 60 | | (c)(1). |
|---|
| 62 | 61 | | (d) Each governing board of a public institution of higher education shall ensure |
|---|
| 63 | 62 | | that the requirements of this section are incorporated into the degree requirements of all |
|---|
| 64 | 63 | | |
|---|
| 65 | 64 | | |
|---|
| 66 | 65 | | - 3 - 001793 |
|---|
| 67 | 66 | | |
|---|
| 68 | 67 | | baccalaureate degree programs offered by the public institution of higher education in a |
|---|
| 69 | 68 | | manner that does not: |
|---|
| 70 | 69 | | (1) Add to the total amount of credit hours for any degree; or |
|---|
| 71 | 70 | | (2) Conflict with any school accreditation process. |
|---|
| 72 | 71 | | (e) Each governing board of a public institution of higher education shall ensure |
|---|
| 73 | 72 | | that the public institution of higher education under the governing board's jurisdiction is in |
|---|
| 74 | 73 | | compliance with this section. Each governing board shall annually submit a report to the |
|---|
| 75 | 74 | | chair of the education committee of the senate, the chair of the finance, ways and means |
|---|
| 76 | 75 | | committee of the senate, the chair of the committee of the house of representatives |
|---|
| 77 | 76 | | having jurisdiction over higher education, and the chair of the committee of the house of |
|---|
| 78 | 77 | | representatives having jurisdiction over finance that provides proof of the public |
|---|
| 79 | 78 | | institution's compliance or incompliance with this section. |
|---|
| 80 | 79 | | SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it. |
|---|