HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1760
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that high school graduates and individuals who elect to take the general educational development test should have a basic understanding of United States civics and history so that they can become actively engaged citizens.

     The purpose of this Act is to promote civics education by authorizing the department of education to:

     (1)  Establish and maintain a civics education course based on core elements in the test administered to individuals attempting to become naturalized citizens;

     (2)  Require all students entering the ninth grade in the 2020-2021 school year and any school year thereafter to complete and pass the civics education course to qualify for graduation; and

     (3)  Require all individuals taking the general educational development test on or after January 1, 2019, to first achieve a satisfactory score on the civics portion of the test administered to individuals attempting to become naturalized citizens, or a substantially similar test.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding two new sections to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§302A-    Civics education course; graduation.  (a)  The department may:

     (1)  Establish and maintain a civics education course to be taught at each public high school in the State; and

     (2)  Require all students entering the ninth grade in the 2020-2021 school year and any school year thereafter to complete and pass the civics education course to qualify for graduation.

     (b)  The content of a course established pursuant to this section shall include core elements that are tested in the civics portion of the naturalization test administered by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to applicants for United States citizenship.

     §302A-    General educational development test; civics knowledge prerequisite.  The department may establish a civics knowledge prerequisite that requires all individuals who take the general educational development test on or after January 1, 2019, to provide verification to the department, before taking the test, that they have achieved at least sixty per cent of the maximum score for the civics portion of the naturalization test administered by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to applicants for United States citizenship, or a substantially similar test."

     SECTION 3.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

Report Title:

Civics Education; DOE

 

Description:

Authorizes the Department of Education to establish civics knowledge requirements for students attempting to graduate and individuals taking the general educational development test.

 

 

 

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