House Study Bill 587 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON WHEELER) A BILL FOR An Act relating to education, including by modifying the social 1 studies curriculum provided to students enrolled in grades 2 one through twelve in school districts, charter schools, and 3 innovation zone schools, and modifying the responsibilities 4 of school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone 5 schools related to requiring teachers and students to sing 6 the national anthem. 7 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 8 TLSB 5634YC (2) 90 jda/jh

H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 256.11, subsections 3 and 4, Code 2024, 1 are amended to read as follows: 2 3. a. The following areas shall be taught in grades 3 one through six: English-language arts, social studies, 4 mathematics, science, health, physical education, traffic 5 safety, music, visual art, and, subject to section 279.80 , 6 age-appropriate and research-based human growth and 7 development. Computer science instruction incorporating 8 the standards established under section 256.7, subsection 9 26 , paragraph “a” , subparagraph (4), shall be offered in 10 at least one grade level commencing with the school year 11 beginning July 1, 2023. The health curriculum shall include 12 the characteristics of communicable diseases. The state board 13 as part of accreditation standards shall adopt curriculum 14 definitions for implementing the elementary program. 15 b. The social studies curriculum shall include instruction 16 related to the words and music of the national anthem, 17 the meaning and history of the national anthem, the object 18 and principles of the government of the United States, the 19 sacrifices made by the founders of the United States, the 20 important contributions made by all who have served in the 21 armed forces of the United States since the founding, and how 22 to love, honor, and respect the national anthem. 23 c. Paragraph “b” shall not apply to a nonpublic school. 24 4. a. The following shall be taught in grades seven and 25 eight: English-language arts; social studies; mathematics; 26 science; health; age-appropriate and research-based human 27 growth and development; career exploration and development; 28 physical education; music; and visual art. Computer science 29 instruction incorporating the standards established under 30 section 256.7, subsection 26 , paragraph “a” , subparagraph (4), 31 shall be offered in at least one grade level commencing with 32 the school year beginning July 1, 2023. Career exploration 33 and development shall be designed so that students are 34 appropriately prepared to create an individual career 35 -1- LSB 5634YC (2) 90 jda/jh 1/ 7

H.F. _____ and academic plan pursuant to section 279.61 , incorporate 1 foundational career and technical education concepts aligned 2 with the six career and technical education service areas as 3 defined in subsection 5 , paragraph “h” , incorporate relevant 4 twenty-first century skills to facilitate career readiness, 5 and introduce students to career opportunities within the 6 local community and across this state. The health curriculum 7 shall include age-appropriate and research-based information 8 regarding the characteristics of sexually transmitted diseases. 9 The state board as part of accreditation standards shall adopt 10 curriculum definitions for implementing the program in grades 11 seven and eight. However, this subsection shall not apply to 12 the teaching of career exploration and development in nonpublic 13 schools. 14 b. The social studies curriculum shall include instruction 15 related to the words and music of the national anthem, 16 the meaning and history of the national anthem, the object 17 and principles of the government of the United States, the 18 sacrifices made by the founders of the United States, the 19 important contributions made by all who have served in the 20 armed forces of the United States since the founding, and how 21 to love, honor, and respect the national anthem. 22 c. Paragraph “b” shall not apply to a nonpublic school. 23 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph b, Code 24 2024, is amended to read as follows: 25 b. Five units of the social studies including instruction 26 in voting statutes and procedures, voter registration 27 requirements, the use of paper ballots and voting systems in 28 the election process, and the method of acquiring and casting 29 an absentee ballot. All students shall complete a minimum 30 of one-half unit of United States government and one unit of 31 United States history. 32 (1) The one-half unit of United States government shall 33 include the voting procedure as described in this lettered 34 paragraph and section 280.9A . The government instruction shall 35 -2- LSB 5634YC (2) 90 jda/jh 2/ 7

H.F. _____ also include a study of the Constitution of the United States 1 and the Bill of Rights contained in the Constitution and an 2 assessment of a student’s knowledge of the Constitution and the 3 Bill of Rights. 4 (2) The one unit of United States history shall include 5 instruction related to the words and music of the national 6 anthem, the meaning and history of the national anthem, the 7 object and principles of the government of the United States, 8 the sacrifices made by the founders of the United States, the 9 important contributions made by all who have served in the 10 armed forces of the United States since the founding, and how 11 to love, honor, and respect the national anthem. 12 (3) Subparagraph (2) shall not apply to a nonpublic school. 13 Sec. 3. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, paragraph g, Code 14 2024, is amended to read as follows: 15 g. Be subject to and comply with the requirements of 16 section 256.7, subsection 21 , and the educational standards 17 of section 256.11 , unless specifically waived by the state 18 board during the application process ; provided, however, that 19 the state board shall not waive the educational standards 20 related to social studies instruction established in section 21 256.11, subsections 3 and 4, and section 256.11, subsection 5, 22 paragraph “b” , subparagraph (2) . 23 Sec. 4. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, Code 2024, is amended 24 by adding the following new paragraph: 25 NEW PARAGRAPH . 0r. Be subject to and comply with 26 the requirements of section 280.5A relating to required 27 participation in the singing of the national anthem in the same 28 manner as a school district. 29 Sec. 5. Section 256F.4, subsection 2, Code 2024, is amended 30 by adding the following new paragraphs: 31 NEW PARAGRAPH . p. Be subject to and comply with the 32 requirements of section 256.11, subsections 3 and 4, and 33 section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph “b” , subparagraph (2), 34 relating to social studies instruction in the same manner as 35 -3- LSB 5634YC (2) 90 jda/jh 3/ 7

H.F. _____ a school district. 1 NEW PARAGRAPH . q. Be subject to and comply with 2 the requirements of section 280.5A relating to required 3 participation in the singing of the national anthem in the same 4 manner as a school district. 5 Sec. 6. NEW SECTION . 280.5A National anthem. 6 1. The board of directors of each public school shall 7 require all teachers providing classroom instruction and all 8 students in attendance to sing at least one verse of the 9 national anthem each school day. When the national anthem 10 is being sung pursuant to this subsection, all teachers and 11 students who are physically able shall stand at attention and 12 remove any headdress that is not being worn for religious 13 purposes. 14 2. The board of directors of each public school shall 15 require all teachers providing classroom instruction and all 16 students in attendance to sing the entire national anthem 17 during the school day on patriotic occasions, as determined by 18 the board of directors of the public school. When the national 19 anthem is being sung pursuant to this subsection, all teachers 20 and students who are physically able shall stand at attention 21 and remove any headdress that is not being worn for religious 22 purposes. 23 3. The board of directors of each public school may require 24 teachers and students in attendance at any school function 25 or school-sponsored activity to sing the entire national 26 anthem immediately prior to the beginning of the function or 27 activity. When the national anthem is being sung pursuant to 28 this subsection, all teachers and students who are physically 29 able shall stand at attention and remove any headdress that is 30 not being worn for religious purposes. 31 4. a. Notwithstanding subsections 1 through 3, a teacher 32 or student shall not be compelled against the teacher’s or 33 student’s objections to sing any portion of the national 34 anthem. The board of directors of each public school shall 35 -4- LSB 5634YC (2) 90 jda/jh 4/ 7

H.F. _____ provide notice to all teachers and students of a teacher’s 1 and student’s ability to object to singing any portion of the 2 national anthem. 3 b. The board of directors of each public school shall 4 require a teacher or student who does not sing any portion 5 of the national anthem to show full respect to the national 6 anthem while the verse or verses are being sung by standing at 7 attention, if physically able, and maintaining a respectful 8 silence. 9 5. If a teacher does not participate in the singing of any 10 portion of the national anthem pursuant to subsection 4, the 11 teacher or the principal of the attendance center where the 12 teacher is providing classroom instruction shall select another 13 suitable person to lead the teacher’s class in the singing of 14 the national anthem. 15 6. The board of directors of each public school shall 16 prohibit any assessment or evaluation of any teacher or student 17 from referencing whether the teacher or student participated 18 in, or objected to participating in, any singing of any portion 19 of the national anthem. 20 Sec. 7. IMPLEMENTATION OF ACT. Section 25B.2, subsection 21 3, shall not apply to this Act. 22 EXPLANATION 23 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 24 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 25 This bill relates to education, including by modifying the 26 social studies curriculum provided to students enrolled in 27 grades 1 through 12 in school districts, charter schools, and 28 innovation zone schools, and modifying the responsibilities of 29 school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools 30 related to requiring teachers and students to sing the national 31 anthem. 32 The bill modifies the social studies curriculum provided to 33 students enrolled in grades 1 through 12 in school districts, 34 charter schools, and innovation zone schools to require 35 -5- LSB 5634YC (2) 90 jda/jh 5/ 7

H.F. _____ instruction related to the words and music of the national 1 anthem, the meaning and history of the national anthem, the 2 object and principles of the government of the United States, 3 the sacrifices made by the founders of the United States, the 4 important contributions made by all who have served in the 5 armed forces of the United States since the founding, and how 6 to love, honor, and respect the national anthem. 7 The bill provides that school districts, charter schools, 8 and innovation zone schools shall require all teachers 9 providing classroom instruction and all students to sing at 10 least one verse of the national anthem each school day and 11 to sing the entire national anthem during the school day on 12 patriotic occasions. The bill establishes that, when the 13 national anthem is being sung, all teachers and students who 14 are physically able are required to stand at attention and 15 remove any headdress that is not being worn for religious 16 purposes. 17 The bill provides that school districts, charter schools, 18 and innovation zone schools may require teachers and students 19 in attendance at any school function or school-sponsored 20 activity to sing the entire national anthem immediately 21 prior to the beginning of the function or activity. The bill 22 establishes that, when the national anthem is being sung, all 23 teachers and students who are physically able are required to 24 stand at attention and remove any headdress that is not being 25 worn for religious purposes. 26 The bill provides that, notwithstanding these requirements, 27 neither a teacher nor a student shall be compelled against 28 the teacher’s or student’s objections to sing any portion 29 of the national anthem. The bill requires the school to 30 provide notice to all teachers and students of a teacher’s 31 and student’s ability to object to singing any portion of the 32 national anthem. The bill provides that the school shall 33 require a teacher or student who does not sing any portion 34 of the national anthem to show full respect to the national 35 -6- LSB 5634YC (2) 90 jda/jh 6/ 7

H.F. _____ anthem while the verse or verses are being sung by standing at 1 attention, if physically able, and maintaining a respectful 2 silence. 3 The bill establishes that if a teacher does not participate 4 in the singing of any portion of the national anthem, the 5 teacher or the principal of the attendance center where the 6 teacher is providing classroom instruction is required to 7 select another suitable person to lead the teacher’s class in 8 the singing of the national anthem. 9 The bill requires schools to prohibit any assessment 10 or evaluation of any teacher or student from referencing 11 whether the teacher or student participated in, or objected to 12 participating in, any singing of any portion of the national 13 anthem. 14 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code 15 section 25B.3. The bill makes inapplicable Code section 16 25B.2(3), which would relieve a school district from complying 17 with a state mandate if funding for the cost of the state 18 mandate is not provided or specified. Therefore, school 19 districts are required to comply with any state mandate 20 included in the bill. 21 -7- LSB 5634YC (2) 90 jda/jh 7/ 7