Bill Text: IA HF480 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to science education in school districts.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 7)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-03-01 - Introduced, referred to Education. H.J. 488. [HF480 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2017-HF480-Introduced.html

---

House File 480 - Introduced




                                 HOUSE FILE       
                                 BY  WHEELER, SHEETS,
                                     WATTS, R. TAYLOR,
                                     SALMON, GASSMAN, and
                                     BAXTER

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to science education in school districts.
  2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
    TLSB 1713YH (7) 87
    kh/sc

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  279.54  Science education.
  1  2    1.  The board of directors of each school district shall
  1  3 authorize and assist teachers, principals, and other school
  1  4 administrators to create and foster an environment within
  1  5 the school district's elementary and secondary schools that
  1  6 promotes critical thinking skills, logical analysis, and open
  1  7 and objective discussion of scientific theories. If a teacher
  1  8 provides instruction relating to evolution, the origins of
  1  9 life, global warming, or human cloning, the teacher shall
  1 10 include opposing points of view or beliefs relating to the
  1 11 instruction.
  1 12    2.  A teacher employed by the school district shall use
  1 13 textbooks adopted by the school district, but may supplement
  1 14 the information in those textbooks with other instructional
  1 15 materials, including other textbooks, as permitted by the
  1 16 board of directors of the school district, to help students
  1 17 understand, analyze, critique, and review scientific theories
  1 18 in an objective manner.
  1 19    3.  This section shall not be construed to promote any
  1 20 religious doctrine, promote discrimination for or against a
  1 21 particular set of religious beliefs, or promote discrimination
  1 22 for or against religion or nonreligion.
  1 23                           EXPLANATION
  1 24 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  1 25 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  1 26    This bill creates new Code section 279.54 directing the
  1 27 board of directors of each school district to authorize and
  1 28 assist the district's teachers and administrators to create
  1 29 and foster an environment within the district's elementary
  1 30 and secondary schools that promotes critical thinking
  1 31 skills, logical analysis, and open and objective discussion
  1 32 of scientific theories. If a teacher provides instruction
  1 33 relating to evolution, the origins of life, global warming, or
  1 34 human cloning, the teacher must include opposing points of view
  1 35 or beliefs relating to the instruction.
  2  1 A teacher shall use textbooks adopted by the school
  2  2 district, but may supplement the information in those textbooks
  2  3 with other instructional materials, as permitted by the board
  2  4 of directors of the school district.
  2  5    The bill provides that new Code section 279.54 shall not
  2  6 be construed to promote any religious doctrine, promote
  2  7 discrimination for or against a particular set of religious
  2  8 beliefs, or promote discrimination for or against religion or
  2  9 nonreligion.
       LSB 1713YH (7) 87
       kh/sc