Florida Senate - 2021 SB 1450 By Senator Rodriguez 39-01366A-21 20211450__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to civic education curriculum; 3 amending s. 1003.4282, F.S.; revising the social 4 studies high school graduation credit requirement; 5 amending s. 1003.44, F.S.; requiring the Department of 6 Education to develop or approve an integrated civic 7 education curriculum that meets certain requirements; 8 requiring the department to curate oral history 9 resources to be used along with such curriculum; 10 providing a short title; requiring the department to 11 approve the civic education curricula submitted by 12 school districts and charter schools; providing an 13 effective date. 14 15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 16 17 Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section 18 1003.4282, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 19 1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school diploma.— 20 (3) STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA; COURSE AND ASSESSMENT 21 REQUIREMENTS.— 22 (d) Three credits in social studies.—A student must earn 23 one credit in United States History; one credit in World 24 History; one-half credit in economics; and one-half credit in 25 United States Government, which must include a comparative 26 discussion of political ideologies, such as communism and 27 totalitarianism, that conflict with the principles of freedom 28 and democracy essential to the founding principles of the United 29 States. The United States History EOC assessment constitutes 30 30 percent of the student’s final course grade. 31 Section 2. Subsection (6) is added to section 1003.44, 32 Florida Statutes, to read: 33 1003.44 Patriotic programs; rules.— 34 (6) To help families, civic institutions, local 35 communities, district school boards, and charter schools prepare 36 students to be civically responsible and knowledgeable adults, 37 the Department of Education shall: 38 (a) Develop or approve an integrated civic education 39 curriculum that school districts and charter schools must 40 incorporate as part of regular school work in kindergarten 41 through grade 12. The civic education curriculum must assist 42 students in developing: 43 1. An understanding of their shared rights and 44 responsibilities as residents of the state and of the founding 45 principles of the United States as described in s. 46 1003.42(2)(a)-(c). 47 2. A sense of civic pride and desire to participate 48 regularly with government at the local, state, and federal 49 levels. 50 3. An understanding of the process for effectively 51 advocating before government bodies and officials. 52 4. An understanding of the civic-minded expectations, 53 developed by the State Board of Education, of an upright and 54 desirable citizenry that recognizes and accepts responsibility 55 for preserving and defending the blessings of liberty inherited 56 from prior generations and secured by the United States 57 Constitution. 58 (b) Curate oral history resources to be used along with the 59 civic education curriculum which provide portraits in patriotism 60 based on the personal stories of diverse individuals who 61 demonstrate civic-minded qualities, including first-person 62 accounts of victims of other nations’ governing philosophies who 63 can compare those philosophies with those of the United States. 64 This paragraph may be cited as the “Portraits in Patriotism 65 Act.” 66 (c) Approve integrated civic education curricula submitted 67 by school districts and charter schools that meet the 68 requirements of this subsection. 69 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.