Florida Senate - 2022 SB 1500
By Senator Bracy
11-00772A-22 20221500__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to special days of observance;
3 creating s. 683.20, F.S.; designating “Emancipation
4 Day” to officially commemorate the freeing of enslaved
5 African Americans in Florida; authorizing the Governor
6 to issue an annual proclamation honoring the
7 significance of Emancipation Day; amending s. 683.21,
8 F.S.; specifying that Juneteenth Day officially
9 commemorates the freeing of all remaining enslaved
10 African Americans in the United States; amending s.
11 1003.4282, F.S.; requiring high school students
12 enrolled in a United States History course to receive
13 specified instruction on the significance of
14 Emancipation Day and Juneteenth Day; providing an
15 effective date.
16
17 WHEREAS, on January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln
18 issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which afforded free status
19 under federal law to the millions of enslaved African Americans
20 who resided in states that had seceded from the Union, including
21 Florida, and
22 WHEREAS, despite the issuance of the Emancipation
23 Proclamation, it was not fully enforced in certain regions of
24 the United States for more than 2 years afterward, and
25 WHEREAS, emancipation in Florida was proclaimed in
26 Tallahassee on May 20, 1865, and for this reason Floridians
27 traditionally celebrate Emancipation Day on May 20 of each year,
28 and
29 WHEREAS, on or about June 19, 1865, federal authorities
30 arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation
31 Proclamation and inform the remaining enslaved African Americans
32 that the Civil War had ended and that they were now free, and
33 WHEREAS, thereafter, former slaves and their descendants
34 continued to commemorate each June 19 as a celebration of
35 freedom and the emancipation of all slaves in the United States,
36 and
37 WHEREAS, in 1991, the Florida Legislature officially
38 designated June 19 as “Juneteenth Day” to annually commemorate
39 the freeing of slaves, and
40 WHEREAS, this act designates Emancipation Day as a special
41 day of observance in this state to commemorate the announcement
42 of the abolition of slavery and to recognize the significant
43 contributions of African Americans to this state and our nation,
44 NOW, THEREFORE,
45
46 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
47
48 Section 1. Section 683.20, Florida Statutes, is created to
49 read:
50 683.20 Emancipation Day.—
51 (1) May 20 is hereby designated “Emancipation Day” to
52 annually commemorate the traditional observance of the day that
53 the enslaved African Americans of this state were notified of
54 the Emancipation Proclamation.
55 (2) The Governor may issue a proclamation each year which
56 designates May 20 as Emancipation Day and calls on public
57 officials, schools, private organizations, and all residents to
58 honor the significance of the day.
59 Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 683.21, Florida
60 Statutes, is amended to read:
61 683.21 Juneteenth Day.—
62 (1) June 19th of each year is hereby designated “Juneteenth
63 Day” to commemorate the traditional observance of the day all
64 remaining enslaved African Americans the slaves in Florida were
65 notified of the Emancipation Proclamation.
66 Section 3. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
67 1003.4282, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
68 1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school diploma.—
69 (3) STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA; COURSE AND ASSESSMENT
70 REQUIREMENTS.—
71 (d) Three credits in social studies.—A student must earn
72 one credit in United States History, which, beginning in the
73 2023-2024 school year, must include at least 45 minutes of
74 instruction on the significance of Emancipation Day and
75 Juneteenth Day as designated in ss. 683.20 and 683.21,
76 respectively; one credit in World History; one-half credit in
77 economics; and one-half credit in United States Government,
78 which must include a comparative discussion of political
79 ideologies, such as communism and totalitarianism, that conflict
80 with the principles of freedom and democracy essential to the
81 founding principles of the United States. The United States
82 History EOC assessment constitutes 30 percent of the student’s
83 final course grade. Beginning with the 2021-2022 school year,
84 students taking the United States Government course are required
85 to take the assessment of civic literacy identified by the State
86 Board of Education pursuant to s. 1007.25(4). Students earning a
87 passing score on the assessment are exempt from the
88 postsecondary civic literacy assessment required by s.
89 1007.25(4).
90 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.