Florida Senate - 2022 SB 490
By Senator Stewart
13-00488A-22 2022490__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to required instruction in the history
3 of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; amending s.
4 1003.42, F.S.; requiring the history of Asian
5 Americans and Pacific Islanders to be included in
6 specified instruction; amending ss. 1006.148 and
7 1014.05, F.S.; conforming cross-references; providing
8 an effective date.
9
10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12 Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 1003.42, Florida
13 Statutes, is amended to read:
14 1003.42 Required instruction.—
15 (2) Members of the instructional staff of the public
16 schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education
17 and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and
18 faithfully, using the books and materials required that meet the
19 highest standards for professionalism and historical accuracy,
20 following the prescribed courses of study, and employing
21 approved methods of instruction, the following:
22 (a) The history and content of the Declaration of
23 Independence, including national sovereignty, natural law, self
24 evident truth, equality of all persons, limited government,
25 popular sovereignty, and inalienable rights of life, liberty,
26 and property, and how they form the philosophical foundation of
27 our government.
28 (b) The history, meaning, significance, and effect of the
29 provisions of the Constitution of the United States and
30 amendments thereto, with emphasis on each of the 10 amendments
31 that make up the Bill of Rights and how the constitution
32 provides the structure of our government.
33 (c) The arguments in support of adopting our republican
34 form of government, as they are embodied in the most important
35 of the Federalist Papers.
36 (d) Flag education, including proper flag display and flag
37 salute.
38 (e) The elements of civil government, including the primary
39 functions of and interrelationships between the Federal
40 Government, the state, and its counties, municipalities, school
41 districts, and special districts.
42 (f) The history of the United States, including the period
43 of discovery, early colonies, the War for Independence, the
44 Civil War, the expansion of the United States to its present
45 boundaries, the world wars, and the civil rights movement to the
46 present. American history shall be viewed as factual, not as
47 constructed, shall be viewed as knowable, teachable, and
48 testable, and shall be defined as the creation of a new nation
49 based largely on the universal principles stated in the
50 Declaration of Independence.
51 (g)1. The history of the Holocaust (1933-1945), the
52 systematic, planned annihilation of European Jews and other
53 groups by Nazi Germany, a watershed event in the history of
54 humanity, to be taught in a manner that leads to an
55 investigation of human behavior, an understanding of the
56 ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping, and an
57 examination of what it means to be a responsible and respectful
58 person, for the purposes of encouraging tolerance of diversity
59 in a pluralistic society and for nurturing and protecting
60 democratic values and institutions, including the policy,
61 definition, and historical and current examples of anti
62 Semitism, as described in s. 1000.05(7), and the prevention of
63 anti-Semitism. Each school district must annually certify and
64 provide evidence to the department, in a manner prescribed by
65 the department, that the requirements of this paragraph are met.
66 The department shall prepare and offer standards and curriculum
67 for the instruction required by this paragraph and may seek
68 input from the Commissioner of Education’s Task Force on
69 Holocaust Education or from any state or nationally recognized
70 Holocaust educational organizations. The department may contract
71 with any state or nationally recognized Holocaust educational
72 organizations to develop training for instructional personnel
73 and grade-appropriate classroom resources to support the
74 developed curriculum.
75 2. The second week in November shall be designated as
76 “Holocaust Education Week” in this state in recognition that
77 November is the anniversary of Kristallnacht, widely recognized
78 as a precipitating event that led to the Holocaust.
79 (h) The history of African Americans, including the history
80 of African peoples before the political conflicts that led to
81 the development of slavery, the passage to America, the
82 enslavement experience, abolition, and the contributions of
83 African Americans to society. Instructional materials shall
84 include the contributions of African Americans to American
85 society.
86 (i) The history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders,
87 including the immigration, citizenship, civil rights, identity,
88 and culture of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the
89 contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to
90 American society. Instructional materials shall include the
91 contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to
92 American society.
93 (j) The elementary principles of agriculture.
94 (k)(j) The true effects of all alcoholic and intoxicating
95 liquors and beverages and narcotics upon the human body and
96 mind.
97 (l)(k) Kindness to animals.
98 (m)(l) The history of this the state.
99 (n)(m) The conservation of natural resources.
100 (o)1.(n)1. Comprehensive age-appropriate and
101 developmentally appropriate K-12 health education that addresses
102 concepts of community health, consumer health, environmental
103 health, and family life, including:
104 a. Mental and emotional health.
105 b. Injury prevention and safety.
106 c. Internet safety.
107 d. Nutrition.
108 e. Personal health.
109 f. Prevention and control of disease.
110 g. Substance use and abuse.
111 h. Prevention of child sexual abuse, exploitation, and
112 human trafficking.
113 2. The health education curriculum for students in grades 7
114 through 12 shall include a teen dating violence and abuse
115 component that includes, but is not limited to, the definition
116 of dating violence and abuse, the warning signs of dating
117 violence and abusive behavior, the characteristics of healthy
118 relationships, measures to prevent and stop dating violence and
119 abuse, and community resources available to victims of dating
120 violence and abuse.
121 3. The health education curriculum for students in grades 6
122 through 12 shall include an awareness of the benefits of sexual
123 abstinence as the expected standard and the consequences of
124 teenage pregnancy.
125 (p)(o) Such additional materials, subjects, courses, or
126 fields in such grades as are prescribed by law or by rules of
127 the State Board of Education and the district school board in
128 fulfilling the requirements of law.
129 (q)(p) The study of Hispanic contributions to the United
130 States.
131 (r)(q) The study of women’s contributions to the United
132 States.
133 (s)(r) The nature and importance of free enterprise to the
134 United States economy.
135 (t)(s) A character development program in the elementary
136 schools, similar to Character First or Character Counts, which
137 is secular in nature. Beginning in school year 2004-2005, the
138 character development program shall be required in kindergarten
139 through grade 12. Each district school board shall develop or
140 adopt a curriculum for the character development program that
141 shall be submitted to the department for approval.
142 1. The character development curriculum shall stress the
143 qualities of patriotism; responsibility; citizenship; kindness;
144 respect for authority, life, liberty, and personal property;
145 honesty; charity; self-control; racial, ethnic, and religious
146 tolerance; and cooperation.
147 2. The character development curriculum for grades 9
148 through 12 shall, at a minimum, include instruction on
149 developing leadership skills, interpersonal skills, organization
150 skills, and research skills; creating a resume, including a
151 digital resume; exploring career pathways; using state career
152 planning resources; developing and practicing the skills
153 necessary for employment interviews; conflict resolution,
154 workplace ethics, and workplace law; managing stress and
155 expectations; and developing skills that enable students to
156 become more resilient and self-motivated.
157 3. The character development curriculum for grades 11 and
158 12 shall include instruction on voting using the uniform primary
159 and general election ballot described in s. 101.151(9).
160 (u)(t) In order to encourage patriotism, the sacrifices
161 that veterans and Medal of Honor recipients have made in serving
162 our country and protecting democratic values worldwide. Such
163 instruction must occur on or before Medal of Honor Day,
164 Veterans’ Day, and Memorial Day. Members of the instructional
165 staff are encouraged to use the assistance of local veterans and
166 Medal of Honor recipients when practicable.
167
168 The State Board of Education is encouraged to adopt standards
169 and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection. A
170 character development program that incorporates the values of
171 the recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor and that is
172 offered as part of a social studies, English Language Arts, or
173 other schoolwide character building and veteran awareness
174 initiative meets the requirements of paragraphs (t) (s) and (u)
175 (t).
176 Section 2. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section
177 1006.148, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
178 1006.148 Dating violence and abuse prohibited.—
179 (1) Each district school board shall adopt and implement a
180 dating violence and abuse policy. The policy shall:
181 (c) Define dating violence and abuse and provide for a teen
182 dating violence and abuse component in the health education
183 curriculum, according to s. 1003.42(2)(o)2. s. 1003.42(2)(n)2.,
184 with emphasis on prevention education.
185 Section 3. Paragraphs (d) and (f) of subsection (1) of
186 section 1014.05, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
187 1014.05 School district notifications on parental rights.—
188 (1) Each district school board shall, in consultation with
189 parents, teachers, and administrators, develop and adopt a
190 policy to promote parental involvement in the public school
191 system. Such policy must include:
192 (d) Procedures, pursuant to s. 1002.20(3)(d), for a parent
193 to withdraw his or her minor child from any portion of the
194 school district’s comprehensive health education required under
195 s. 1003.42(2)(o) s. 1003.42(2)(n) that relates to sex education
196 or instruction in acquired immune deficiency syndrome education
197 or any instruction regarding sexuality if the parent provides a
198 written objection to his or her minor child’s participation.
199 Such procedures must provide for a parent to be notified in
200 advance of such course content so that he or she may withdraw
201 his or her minor child from those portions of the course.
202 (f) Procedures for a parent to learn about parental rights
203 and responsibilities under general law, including all of the
204 following:
205 1. Pursuant to s. 1002.20(3)(d), the right to opt his or
206 her minor child out of any portion of the school district’s
207 comprehensive health education required under s. 1003.42(2)(o)
208 s. 1003.42(2)(n) that relates to sex education instruction in
209 acquired immune deficiency syndrome education or any instruction
210 regarding sexuality.
211 2. A plan to disseminate information, pursuant to s.
212 1002.20(6), about school choice options, including open
213 enrollment.
214 3. In accordance with s. 1002.20(3)(b), the right of a
215 parent to exempt his or her minor child from immunizations.
216 4. In accordance with s. 1008.22, the right of a parent to
217 review statewide, standardized assessment results.
218 5. In accordance with s. 1003.57, the right of a parent to
219 enroll his or her minor child in gifted or special education
220 programs.
221 6. In accordance with s. 1006.28(2)(a)1., the right of a
222 parent to inspect school district instructional materials.
223 7. In accordance with s. 1008.25, the right of a parent to
224 access information relating to the school district’s policies
225 for promotion or retention, including high school graduation
226 requirements.
227 8. In accordance with s. 1002.20(14), the right of a parent
228 to receive a school report card and be informed of his or her
229 minor child’s attendance requirements.
230 9. In accordance with s. 1002.23, the right of a parent to
231 access information relating to the state public education
232 system, state standards, report card requirements, attendance
233 requirements, and instructional materials requirements.
234 10. In accordance with s. 1002.23(4), the right of a parent
235 to participate in parent-teacher associations and organizations
236 that are sanctioned by a district school board or the Department
237 of Education.
238 11. In accordance with s. 1002.222(1)(a), the right of a
239 parent to opt out of any district-level data collection relating
240 to his or her minor child not required by law.
241 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.