House Bill hb0915e1

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




                                        CS/HB 915, First Engrossed



  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to public schools; amending s.

  3         233.062, F.S.; directing the superintendent of

  4         schools to provide for the display of various

  5         historical documents in a prominent location in

  6         public schools; authorizing the display of s.

  7         1, Art. IX of the Florida Constitution in

  8         public schools; authorizing the display of s.

  9         2, Art. I of the Florida Constitution in public

10         schools; 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.  Section 233.062, Florida Statutes, is

15  amended to read:

16         233.062  Permitting study of the Bible and religion;

17  permitting brief meditation period; display of motto and

18  constitution.--

19         (1)  The school board may install in the public schools

20  in the district a secular program of education including, but

21  not limited to, an objective study of the Bible and of

22  religion.

23         (2)  The school board may provide that a brief period,

24  not to exceed 2 minutes, for the purpose of silent prayer or

25  meditation be set aside at the start of each school day or

26  each school week in the public schools in the district.

27         (3)  The superintendent of schools in each school

28  district shall provide for the display in a prominent location

29  within each school under his or her supervision of the motto

30  of the United States of America, "IN GOD WE TRUST," on an

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                                        CS/HB 915, First Engrossed



  1  appropriately framed background with minimum dimensions of 11

  2  inches by 14 inches.

  3         (4)  The superintendent of schools in each school

  4  district may provide for the display in a prominent location

  5  within each school under his or her supervision of s. 1, Art.

  6  IX of the Florida Constitution providing for public education:

  7  "The education of children is a fundamental value of the

  8  people of the State of Florida. It is, therefore, a paramount

  9  duty of the state to make adequate provision for the education

10  of all children residing within its borders. Adequate

11  provision shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe,

12  secure, and high quality system of free public schools that

13  allows students to obtain a high quality education and for the

14  establishment, maintenance, and operation of institutions of

15  higher learning and other public education programs that the

16  needs of the people may require." The display of s. 1, Art. IX

17  of the Florida Constitution shall be posted in a separate

18  place from the display of the national motto and shall be on

19  an appropriately framed background with minimum dimensions of

20  11 inches by 14 inches.

21         233.062  Permitting study of the Bible and religion;

22  permitting brief meditation period; display of motto and

23  constitution.--

24         (1)  The school board may install in the public schools

25  in the district a secular program of education including, but

26  not limited to, an objective study of the Bible and of

27  religion.

28         (2)  The school board may provide that a brief period,

29  not to exceed 2 minutes, for the purpose of silent prayer or

30  meditation be set aside at the start of each school day or

31  each school week in the public schools in the district.


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






                                        CS/HB 915, First Engrossed



  1         (3)  The superintendent of schools in each school

  2  district shall provide for the display in a prominent location

  3  within each school under his or her supervision of the motto

  4  of the United States of America, "IN GOD WE TRUST," on an

  5  appropriately framed background with minimum dimensions of 11

  6  inches by 14 inches.

  7         (4)  The superintendent of schools in each school

  8  district may provide for the display in a prominent location

  9  within each school under his or her supervision of s. 2, Art.

10  I of the Florida Constitution providing for basic rights: "All

11  natural persons, female and male alike, are equal before the

12  law and have inalienable rights, among which are the right to

13  enjoy and defend life and liberty, to pursue happiness, to be

14  rewarded for industry, and to acquire, possess and protect

15  property; except that the ownership, inheritance, disposition

16  and possession of real property by aliens ineligible for

17  citizenship may be regulated or prohibited by law.  No person

18  shall be deprived of any right because of race, religion,

19  national origin, or physical disability." The display of s. 2,

20  Art. I of the Florida Constitution shall be posted in a

21  separate place from the display of the national motto and

22  shall be on an appropriately framed background with minimum

23  dimensions of 11 inches by 14 inches.

24         233.062  Permitting study of the Bible and religion;

25  permitting brief meditation period; display of historical

26  documents.--

27         (1)  The school board may install in the public schools

28  in the district a secular program of education including, but

29  not limited to, an objective study of the Bible and of

30  religion.

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                                        CS/HB 915, First Engrossed



  1         (2)  The school board may provide that a brief period,

  2  not to exceed 2 minutes, for the purpose of silent prayer or

  3  meditation be set aside at the start of each school day or

  4  each school week in the public schools in the district.

  5         (3)  The superintendent of schools in each school

  6  district shall provide for the display in a prominent location

  7  within each school under his or her supervision the following

  8  items each on an appropriately framed background:

  9         (a)  The motto of the United States of America, "In God

10  We Trust."

11         (b)  The Federalist Paper No. 34.

12         (c)  The Preamble to the Constitution of the United

13  States.

14         (d)  The Declaration of Independence.

15         (e)  The Bill of Rights.

16         (f)  Washington's Farewell Address.

17         (g)  The Gettysburg Address.

18         (h)  The Magna Carta.

19         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

20  law.

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