Bill Text: IA HF2031 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to elective social studies courses emphasizing religious scripture that school districts may offer and teach.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 12-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-02-06 - Subcommittee recommends passage. [HF2031 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2017-HF2031-Introduced.html
House File 2031 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY FISHER, WHEELER, SHEETS, SALMON, WATTS, GASSMAN, HOLT, BAXTER, LUNDGREN, HAGER, HEARTSILL, and KERR A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to elective social studies courses emphasizing 2 religious scripture that school districts may offer and 3 teach. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 5016YH (6) 87 kh/rj PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 256.7, Code 2018, is amended by adding 1 2 the following new subsection: 1 3 NEW SUBSECTION. 33. Adopt rules establishing course 1 4 standards for elective social studies courses listed in 1 5 paragraph "a", any of which a school district may offer and 1 6 teach to students in grades nine through twelve subject to 1 7 the provisions of section 279.50A. The rules shall include 1 8 practitioner preparation and professional development 1 9 requirements for practitioners employed by a school district to 1 10 teach a course listed under paragraph "a". 1 11 a. (1) A course on the Hebrew Scriptures. 1 12 (2) A course on the New Testament of the Bible. 1 13 (3) A course on the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament 1 14 of the Bible. 1 15 b. A school district may offer and teach a course listed in 1 16 paragraph "a" for all of the following purposes: 1 17 (1) To provide students with knowledge of biblical content, 1 18 characters, poetry, and narratives that are prerequisites to 1 19 understanding contemporary society and culture, including but 1 20 not limited to literature, art, music, mores, oratory, and 1 21 public policy. 1 22 (2) To familiarize students with, as applicable, the 1 23 following: 1 24 (a) The contents of the Hebrew Scriptures or the New 1 25 Testament of the Bible. 1 26 (b) The history of the Hebrew Scriptures or the New 1 27 Testament of the Bible. 1 28 (c) The literary style and structure of the Hebrew 1 29 Scriptures or the New Testament of the Bible. 1 30 (d) The influence of the Hebrew Scriptures or New Testament 1 31 of the Bible on law, history, government, literature, art, 1 32 music, customs, morals, values, and culture. 1 33 c. In complying with this subsection, the state board shall 1 34 not violate any provision of law as defined in section 17A.2. 1 35 A course offered and taught in accordance with this section is 2 1 subject to federal and state guidelines regarding religious 2 2 neutrality and the diverse religious views, traditions, and the 2 3 perspectives of students enrolled in the school district shall 2 4 be recognized and accommodated. A course offered and taught 2 5 in accordance with this subsection shall not endorse, favor, 2 6 promote, or disfavor, or be hostile toward, any particular 2 7 religion, faith, or nonreligious perspective. 2 8 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 279.50A Elective social studies 2 9 courses ==== religious scripture. 2 10 1. If the board of directors of a school district considers 2 11 and approves, by majority vote of the membership of the school 2 12 board, a recommendation from the school improvement advisory 2 13 committee that an elective social studies course be offered and 2 14 taught in accordance with section 280.12, subsection 4, such a 2 15 course may be offered and taught in the school district. 2 16 2. A student enrolled in a course offered and taught 2 17 pursuant to section 256.7, subsection 33, and this section, 2 18 shall not be required to use a specific translation as the sole 2 19 text for the Hebrew Scriptures or the New Testament of the 2 20 Bible for the course, and may use instead a translation other 2 21 than the text chosen for the course by the teacher, the school 2 22 improvement advisory committee, the school district, or the 2 23 state board of education. 2 24 3. A school improvement advisory committee appointed in 2 25 accordance with section 280.12, or the principal of a school 2 26 offering an elective social studies course in accordance with 2 27 section 256.7, subsection 33, and this section, may authorize 2 28 the display of historic artifacts, monuments, symbols and 2 29 texts, including but not limited to religious materials, in 2 30 conjunction with the course if such display is appropriate to 2 31 the overall educational purpose of the course and is consistent 2 32 with the provisions of section 280.6. 2 33 4. In offering and teaching a course in accordance with 2 34 section 256.7, subsection 33, and this section, a school 2 35 district shall not knowingly violate any provision of law as 3 1 defined in section 17A.2. A course offered in accordance with 3 2 section 256.7, subsection 33, and this section, is subject to 3 3 federal and state guidelines regarding religious neutrality, 3 4 and the diverse religious views, traditions, and the course so 3 5 offered shall recognize and acknowledge the perspectives of 3 6 students enrolled in the school district. The course shall not 3 7 endorse, favor, promote, or disfavor, or be hostile toward, any 3 8 particular religion, faith, or nonreligious perspective. 3 9 Sec. 3. Section 280.12, Code 2018, is amended by adding the 3 10 following new subsection: 3 11 NEW SUBSECTION. 4. Consider a recommendation from the 3 12 school improvement advisory committee that an elective social 3 13 studies course which meets the requirements and purposes set 3 14 forth in section 256.7, subsection 33, be offered and taught in 3 15 the school district in accordance with section 279.50A. 3 16 EXPLANATION 3 17 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 3 18 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 3 19 This bill directs the state board of education to adopt 3 20 rules establishing course standards for elective social studies 3 21 courses on the Hebrew Scriptures or the New Testament of the 3 22 Bible. The bill authorizes a school district to offer and 3 23 teach such a course to students in grades 9 through 12 if the 3 24 district's school improvement advisory committee recommends, 3 25 and the board of directors of the school district approves, the 3 26 course. 3 27 The purpose of the course must be to provide students 3 28 with knowledge of biblical content, characters, poetry, and 3 29 narratives that are prerequisites to understanding contemporary 3 30 society and culture, and to familiarize students with the 3 31 contents, history, literary style and structure, and influence 3 32 of the Hebrew Scriptures or the New Testament of the Bible. 3 33 The state board's rules must include practitioner 3 34 preparation and professional development requirements for 3 35 practitioners employed by a school district to teach such a 4 1 course. 4 2 Under the bill, the state board and school districts are 4 3 prohibited from violating any provision of law in complying 4 4 with the provisions of the bill. A course offered under the 4 5 bill is subject to federal and state guidelines regarding 4 6 religious neutrality, and shall recognize and accommodate the 4 7 diverse religious views, traditions, and the perspectives of 4 8 students enrolled in the school district. Such a course shall 4 9 not endorse, favor, promote, or disfavor, or be hostile toward, 4 10 any particular religion, faith, or nonreligious perspective. 4 11 If a school improvement advisory committee recommends such a 4 12 course, the school board must consider the recommendation. To 4 13 offer and teach such a course, the school board must approve 4 14 the recommendation by majority vote of its membership. 4 15 A student enrolled in such a course shall not be required 4 16 to use a specific translation as the sole text for the Hebrew 4 17 Scriptures or the New Testament of the Bible. 4 18 A school improvement advisory committee or the principal of 4 19 a school offering such a course may authorize the display of 4 20 historic artifacts, monuments, symbols, and texts, including 4 21 but not limited to religious materials, in conjunction with 4 22 the course if such display is appropriate to the overall 4 23 educational purpose of the course and does not require a child 4 24 to read religious books contrary to the wishes of the child's 4 25 parent or guardian. Under current law, religious text books 4 26 such as the Bible, the Torah, and the Koran shall not be 4 27 excluded from any public school. LSB 5016YH (6) 87 kh/rj
