Florida Senate - 2024 CS for CS for SB 1264
By the Appropriations Committee on Education; the Committee on
Education Pre-K -12; and Senators Collins, Rodriguez, Harrell,
and Avila
602-03508-24 20241264c2
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the history of communism; amending
3 s. 1003.42, F.S.; requiring instruction in public
4 schools on the history of communism; providing
5 requirements for the instruction; authorizing the
6 department to prepare and offer standards for the
7 instruction and to seek input from certain educational
8 organizations; creating s. 1004.89, F.S.; creating the
9 Institute for Freedom in the Americas at Miami Dade
10 College; providing the purpose of the institute;
11 requiring the institute to partner with the Adam Smith
12 Center for Economic Freedom for specified purposes;
13 requiring the institute to enter into an agreement
14 with the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom for
15 specified purposes; requiring Miami Dade College to
16 approve a direct-support organization to support the
17 institute; requiring the President of the Senate, the
18 Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the
19 Governor to appoint the board of the direct-support
20 organization, subject to certain requirements;
21 amending s. 1004.64991, F.S.; renaming the Adam Smith
22 Center for the Study of Economic Freedom as the Adam
23 Smith Center for Economic Freedom; revising the goals
24 of the center; requiring the Department of State, in
25 collaboration with the Department of Education, to
26 consult with stakeholders to provide a recommendation
27 to the Legislature by a specified date for the
28 creation of a museum of the history of communism;
29 providing for future expiration; providing an
30 effective date.
31
32 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
33
34 Section 1. Paragraph (v) is added to subsection (2) of
35 section 1003.42, Florida Statutes, to read:
36 1003.42 Required instruction.—
37 (2) Members of the instructional staff of the public
38 schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education
39 and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and
40 faithfully, using the books and materials required that meet the
41 highest standards for professionalism and historical accuracy,
42 following the prescribed courses of study, and employing
43 approved methods of instruction, the following:
44 (v)1. Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, the history
45 of communism. Such instruction must be age appropriate and
46 developmentally appropriate and include:
47 a. The history of communism in the United States and
48 domestic communist movements, including their histories and
49 tactics.
50 b. Atrocities committed in foreign countries under the
51 guidance of communism.
52 c. Comparative discussion of political ideologies, such as
53 communism and totalitarianism, which conflict with the
54 principles of freedom and democracy essential to the founding
55 principles of the United States.
56 d. The increasing threat of communism in the United States
57 and to our allies through the 20th century, including the events
58 of the Cultural Revolution in the People’s Republic of China and
59 other mass killings from communist regimes.
60 e. The economic, industrial, and political events that have
61 preceded and anticipated communist revolutions.
62 f. The communist policies of Cuba and the spread of
63 communist ideologies throughout Latin America, including the
64 roots of the Communist Party of Cuba and guerilla forces
65 throughout Latin America.
66 2. The department shall prepare and offer standards for the
67 instruction required by this paragraph and may seek input from
68 any individual who was a victim of communism or any state or
69 nationally recognized organization dedicated to the victims of
70 communism.
71
72 The State Board of Education is encouraged to adopt standards
73 and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection.
74 Instructional programming that incorporates the values of the
75 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor and that is
76 offered as part of a social studies, English Language Arts, or
77 other schoolwide character building and veteran awareness
78 initiative meets the requirements of paragraph (u).
79 Section 2. Section 1004.89, Florida Statutes, is created to
80 read:
81 1004.89 Institute for Freedom in the Americas.—
82 (1) The Institute for Freedom in the Americas is hereby
83 created at Miami Dade College to preserve the ideals of a free
84 society and promote democracy in the Americas. The institute
85 shall be located at the Freedom Tower and shall:
86 (a) Partner with the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom
87 to hold workshops, symposiums, and conferences that provide
88 networking opportunities for leaders throughout the region to
89 gain new insights and ideas for promoting democracy, including
90 knowledge of and insight into the intellectual, political, and
91 economic freedoms that are foundational to a democratic society.
92 (b) Enter into an agreement with the Adam Smith Center for
93 Economic Freedom to provide participants with academic
94 coursework and programs that advance democratic practices and
95 economic and legal reforms.
96 (c) Provide educational and experiential opportunities for
97 regional leaders committed to careers in democracy and
98 governance.
99 (2) Miami Dade College, in accordance with s. 1004.70,
100 shall approve a direct-support organization to support the
101 institute in its mission to develop partnerships throughout the
102 Americas. The board of the direct-support organization shall be
103 composed of five members, as follows: one member appointed by
104 the President of the Senate; one member appointed by the Speaker
105 of the House of Representatives; and three members appointed by
106 the Governor, including a representative from Miami Dade College
107 and a representative from the Adam Smith Center for Economic
108 Freedom.
109 Section 3. Section 1004.64991, Florida Statutes, is amended
110 to read:
111 1004.64991 The Adam Smith Center for the Study of Economic
112 Freedom.—
113 (1) The Adam Smith Center for the Study of Economic Freedom
114 at Florida International University is hereby created.
115 (2) The goals of the center are to:
116 (a) Study the effect of government and free market
117 economies on individual freedom, educational freedom, and human
118 prosperity.
119 (b) Conduct and promote research on the effect of political
120 and economic systems on human prosperity.
121 (c) Plan and host research workshops, symposiums, and
122 conferences to allow students, scholars, and guests to exchange
123 in civil discussion of democracy and capitalism.
124 (d) Provide fellowship and mentoring opportunities to
125 students engaged in scholarly studies of the effect of political
126 and economic systems on human prosperity.
127 (e) Partner with the Institute for Freedom in the Americas
128 to support its mission, which includes promoting economic and
129 individual freedoms as a means for advancing human progress with
130 an emphasis on Latin American and the Caribbean.
131 (3) In order to carry out the purpose set forth in this
132 section, the center institute is authorized to:
133 (a) Hire necessary faculty and staff pursuant to s.
134 1001.741;
135 (b) Enroll students;
136 (c) Develop curriculum and offer new courses, including
137 honors courses, certificates, degrees, and major and minor
138 programs;
139 (d) Hold events, including fundraisers;
140 (e) Fulfill other actions approved by the president of the
141 university; and
142 (f) Generate resources based on student credit hour
143 enrollment, in the same manner as any college within the
144 institution.
145 Section 4. The Department of State, in collaboration with
146 the Department of Education, shall consult with state and
147 national stakeholders to provide a recommendation to the
148 Legislature, no later than December 1, 2024, on the creation of
149 a museum of the history of communism. This section expires July
150 1, 2025.
151 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.