| 1 | 1 | | |
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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE BILL 291 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By Gant |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | SENATE BILL 1077 |
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| 6 | 6 | | By Johnson |
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| 7 | 7 | | |
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| 8 | 8 | | |
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| 9 | 9 | | SB1077 |
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| 10 | 10 | | 001793 |
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| 11 | 11 | | - 1 - |
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| 12 | 12 | | |
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| 13 | 13 | | AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, |
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| 14 | 14 | | Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, |
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| 15 | 15 | | Chapter 9, relative to higher education. |
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| 16 | 16 | | |
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| 17 | 17 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: |
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| 18 | 18 | | SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 1, is amended by |
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| 19 | 19 | | adding the following as a new section: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (a) The institute of American civics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville |
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| 21 | 21 | | shall develop materials and curricula for a baccalaureate degree program that meets the |
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| 22 | 22 | | requirements of this subsection (a) and distribute the materials and curricula developed |
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| 23 | 23 | | to each public institution of higher education in this state. The curricula must be for a |
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| 24 | 24 | | course of instruction that is three (3) semester hours, or the equivalent, in American |
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| 25 | 25 | | government or American history that provides a comprehensive overview of the major |
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| 26 | 26 | | events and turning points of American history and government and, at a minimum, |
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| 27 | 27 | | includes:ยท |
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| 28 | 28 | | (1) An understanding of the United States Constitution; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) An understanding of the Declaration of Independence; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (3) An understanding of a minimum of five (5) essays from the Federalist |
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| 31 | 31 | | Papers as selected by the course instructor; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (4) An understanding of the Emancipation Proclamation; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (5) An understanding of the Gettysburg Address; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (6) An understanding of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s letter from |
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| 35 | 35 | | Birmingham jail; and |
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| 36 | 36 | | |
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| 37 | 37 | | |
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| 38 | 38 | | - 2 - 001793 |
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| 39 | 39 | | |
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| 40 | 40 | | (7) An understanding of at least one (1) additional document that is |
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| 41 | 41 | | foundational to the African-American freedom struggle. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (b) Each public institution of higher education that offers a baccalaureate degree |
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| 43 | 43 | | program shall offer a course of instruction that includes the curricula developed pursuant |
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| 44 | 44 | | to subsection (a) beginning no later than the 2025-2026 academic year. A public |
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| 45 | 45 | | institution of higher education shall ensure that the course of instruction includes the |
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| 46 | 46 | | administration of a cumulative final examination at the conclusion of the course, testing a |
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| 47 | 47 | | student's proficiency on the documents described in subdivisions (a)(1)-(7). |
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| 48 | 48 | | (c) |
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| 49 | 49 | | (1) Beginning with the entering freshmen in the 2025-2026 academic |
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| 50 | 50 | | year, each student of a public institution of higher education shall complete at |
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| 51 | 51 | | least three (3) semester hours, or the equivalent, of a course of instruction that is |
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| 52 | 52 | | offered pursuant to subsection (b) prior to the student obtaining a baccalaureate |
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| 53 | 53 | | degree from a public institution of higher education, except as provided in |
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| 54 | 54 | | subdivision (c)(2). |
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| 55 | 55 | | (2) A student who completes at least three (3) semester hours, or the |
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| 56 | 56 | | equivalent, in an advanced placement, international baccalaureate, or dual credit |
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| 57 | 57 | | course for which the instruction includes the requirements of subdivisions (a)(1)- |
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| 58 | 58 | | (7) and the course included the administration of a cumulative final examination |
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| 59 | 59 | | at the conclusion of the course, testing a student's proficiency on the documents |
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| 60 | 60 | | described in subdivisions (a)(1)-(7), satisfies the requirements of subdivision |
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| 61 | 61 | | (c)(1). |
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| 62 | 62 | | (d) Each governing board of a public institution of higher education shall ensure |
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| 63 | 63 | | that the requirements of this section are incorporated into the degree requirements of all |
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| 64 | 64 | | |
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| 65 | 65 | | |
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| 66 | 66 | | - 3 - 001793 |
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| 67 | 67 | | |
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| 68 | 68 | | baccalaureate degree programs offered by the public institution of higher education in a |
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| 69 | 69 | | manner that does not: |
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| 70 | 70 | | (1) Add to the total amount of credit hours for any degree; or |
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| 71 | 71 | | (2) Conflict with any school accreditation process. |
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| 72 | 72 | | (e) Each governing board of a public institution of higher education shall ensure |
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| 73 | 73 | | that the public institution of higher education under the governing board's jurisdiction is in |
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| 74 | 74 | | compliance with this section. Each governing board shall annually submit a report to the |
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| 75 | 75 | | chair of the education committee of the senate, the chair of the finance, ways and means |
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| 76 | 76 | | committee of the senate, the chair of the committee of the house of representatives |
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| 77 | 77 | | having jurisdiction over higher education, and the chair of the committee of the house of |
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| 78 | 78 | | representatives having jurisdiction over finance that provides proof of the public |
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| 79 | 79 | | institution's compliance or incompliance with this section. |
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| 80 | 80 | | SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it. |
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