Florida Senate - 2016                                    SB 1600
       
       
        
       By Senator Evers
       
       2-01181B-16                                           20161600__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the pledge of allegiance; amending
    3         s. 1003.44, F.S.; requiring a written notice of a
    4         student’s right not to participate in the pledge of
    5         allegiance to be included in a specific publication;
    6         providing that a student may be excused from certain
    7         actions associated with the pledge of allegiance;
    8         deleting a requirement that civilians stand at full
    9         attention and, if the civilian is a man, remove his
   10         headdress during the pledge of allegiance; providing
   11         an effective date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 1003.44, Florida
   16  Statutes, is amended to read:
   17         1003.44 Patriotic programs; rules.—
   18         (1) Each district school board may adopt rules to require,
   19  in all of the schools of the district, programs of a patriotic
   20  nature to encourage greater respect for the government of the
   21  United States and its national anthem and flag, subject always
   22  to other existing pertinent laws of the United States or of the
   23  state. When the national anthem is played, students and all
   24  civilians shall stand at attention, men removing the headdress,
   25  except when such headdress is worn for religious purposes. The
   26  pledge of allegiance to the flag, “I pledge allegiance to the
   27  flag of the United States of America and to the republic for
   28  which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty
   29  and justice for all,” shall be rendered by students standing
   30  with the right hand over the heart. The pledge of allegiance to
   31  the flag shall be recited at the beginning of the day in each
   32  public elementary, middle, and high school in the state. Each
   33  student shall be informed by a written notice published in the
   34  student handbook or a similar publication pursuant to s.
   35  1006.07(2) posting a notice in a conspicuous place that the
   36  student has the right not to participate in reciting the pledge.
   37  Upon written request by his or her parent, the student must be
   38  excused from reciting the pledge, including standing, placing
   39  the right hand over his or her heart, and, if the student is
   40  male, removing his headdress. When the pledge is given,
   41  civilians must show full respect to the flag by standing at
   42  attention, men removing the headdress, except when such
   43  headdress is worn for religious purposes, as provided by Pub. L.
   44  ch. 77-435, s. 7, approved June 22, 1942, 56 Stat. 377, as
   45  amended by Pub. L. ch. 77-806, 56 Stat. 1074, approved December
   46  22, 1942.
   47         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.