Senate Bill sb1776c1

    Florida Senate - 2002                           CS for SB 1776

    By the Committee on Education; and Senator Clary





    304-2192-02

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to recitation of the

  3         Declaration of Independence; creating s.

  4         233.0659, F.S.; requiring Celebrate Freedom

  5         Week to be recognized in the public schools

  6         each September; requiring a portion of the

  7         Declaration of Independence to be recited daily

  8         by students during that week; providing an

  9         effective date.

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11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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13         Section 1.  Section 233.0659, Florida Statutes, is

14  created to read:

15         233.0659  Recitation of the Declaration of

16  Independence.--

17         (1)  To educate students about the sacrifices made for

18  freedom in the founding of this country and the values on

19  which this country was founded, the last full week of classes

20  in September shall be recognized in public schools as

21  Celebrate Freedom Week. Celebrate Freedom Week must include at

22  least 3 hours of appropriate instruction in each social

23  studies class, as determined by each school district, which

24  instruction shall include an in-depth study of the intent,

25  meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence.

26         (2)  To emphasize the importance of this week, at the

27  beginning of each school day or in homeroom, during the last

28  full week of September, public school principals and teachers

29  shall conduct an oral recitation by students of the following

30  words of the Declaration of Independence:  "We hold these

31  truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2002                           CS for SB 1776
    304-2192-02




  1  that they are endowed by their Creator with certain

  2  unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and

  3  the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights,

  4  governments are instituted among men, deriving their just

  5  powers from the consent of the governed."

  6         (3)  Student recitation of this statement shall serve

  7  to reaffirm the American ideals of individual liberty.

  8         (4)  Upon written request by a student's parent, the

  9  student must be excused from the recitation of the Declaration

10  of independence.

11         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.

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13          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
14                         Senate Bill 1776

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16  Establishes "Celebrate Freedom Week" in September to include
    instruction on and oral recitation of the Declaration of
17  Independence.

18  Provides an opt out provision for students whose parents, in
    writing, request they be excused from the recitation.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.