House Bill 0341
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 341
By Representative Pruitt
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to courses of study; amending
3 s. 233.061, F.S., relating to required
4 instruction; providing for the inclusion of
5 certain historic documents in required public
6 school instruction; requiring certain
7 instruction to be provided in at least two
8 grade levels in both elementary school and high
9 school; requiring the State Board of Education
10 to adopt rules; providing an effective date.
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12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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14 Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 233.061, Florida
15 Statutes, is amended to read:
16 233.061 Required instruction.--
17 (2) Members of the instructional staff of the public
18 schools, subject to the rules and regulations of the
19 commissioner, the state board, and the school board, shall
20 teach efficiently and faithfully, using the books and
21 materials required, following the prescribed courses of study,
22 and employing approved methods of instruction, the following:
23 (a) The content of the Declaration of Independence and
24 how it forms the philosophical foundation of our government.
25 (b) The arguments in support of adopting our
26 republican form of government, as they are embodied in the
27 most important of the Federalist Papers.
28 (c) The history and essentials of the United States
29 Constitution and how it provides the structure of our
30 government.
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 341
286-223-00
1 (d) The content and significance of Abraham Lincoln's
2 Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation, and George
3 Washington's Farewell Address.
4 (e) The content and history of the Constitution of the
5 State of Florida.
6 (f)(d) Flag education, including proper flag display
7 and flag salute.
8 (g)(e) The elements of civil government shall include
9 the primary functions of and interrelationships between the
10 Federal Government, the state, and its counties,
11 municipalities, school districts, and special districts.
12 (h)(f) The history of the Holocaust (1933-1945), the
13 systematic, planned annihilation of European Jews and other
14 groups by Nazi Germany, a watershed event in the history of
15 humanity, to be taught in a manner that leads to an
16 investigation of human behavior, an understanding of the
17 ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping, and an
18 examination of what it means to be a responsible and
19 respectful person, for the purposes of encouraging tolerance
20 of diversity in a pluralistic society and for nurturing and
21 protecting democratic values and institutions.
22 (i)(g) The history of African Americans, including the
23 history of African peoples before the political conflicts that
24 led to the development of slavery, the passage to America, the
25 enslavement experience, abolition, and the contributions of
26 African Americans to society.
27 (j)(h) The elementary principles of agriculture.
28 (k)(i) The true effects of all alcoholic and
29 intoxicating liquors and beverages and narcotics upon the
30 human body and mind.
31 (l)(j) Kindness to animals.
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 341
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1 (m)(k) The history of the state.
2 (n)(l) The conservation of natural resources.
3 (o)(m) Comprehensive health education that addresses
4 concepts of community health; consumer health; environmental
5 health; family life, including an awareness of the benefits of
6 sexual abstinence as the expected standard and the
7 consequences of teenage pregnancy; mental and emotional
8 health; injury prevention and safety; nutrition; personal
9 health; prevention and control of disease; and substance use
10 and abuse.
11 (p)(n) Such additional materials, subjects, courses,
12 or fields in such grades as are prescribed by law or by rules
13 of the commissioner and the school board in fulfilling the
14 requirements of law.
15 (q)(o) The study of Hispanic contributions to the
16 United States.
17 (r)(p) The study of women's contributions to the
18 United States.
19 (s)(q) A character-development program in the
20 elementary schools, similar to Character First or Character
21 Counts. Such a program must be secular in nature and must
22 stress such character qualities as attentiveness, patience,
23 and initiative.
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25 Instruction in the courses of study required by paragraphs (a)
26 through (g) of this subsection must be provided in at least
27 two grade levels during elementary school and two grade levels
28 during high school. The State Board of Education shall adopt
29 rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement this
30 provision.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 341
286-223-00
1 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
2 law.
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5 HOUSE SUMMARY
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Provides for the inclusion of additional historic
7 documents in required instruction. Requires instruction
to be provided in at least two grade levels in both
8 elementary and high school. Requires the adoption of
rules.
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