Bill Text: MS HB978 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Social studies and history curriculum; prohibit revisions to courses due to philosophical purposes.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 5-0)
Status: (Failed) 2016-02-23 - Died In Committee [HB978 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2016-HB978-Introduced.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2016 Regular Session
To: Education
By: Representatives Henley, Criswell, Eubanks, Hale, Hopkins
House Bill 978
AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO MAINTAIN CERTAIN STANDARDS IN THE SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM USED IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND TO PROHIBIT HISTORY COURSES FROM BEING REVISED FOR THE PURPOSE OF CREATING A SKEWED REPRESENTATION OF HISTORY UNFAVORABLE TO THE UNITED STATES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. The State Board of Education shall maintain a social studies curriculum to be taught in the public schools which is designed to reinforce the basic knowledge, skills and understandings pertinent to social studies. The goals of the curriculum must be to deliver citizenship education, through the different subject area strands of civics, history, geography and economics, in order to foster the development of responsible, accountable, global citizens with reverence for their state and country. Any revision to the current Mississippi Social Studies Framework or future state adopted standards must be accomplished by an education team in a manner similar to that employed by the State Board of Education for that revision. The State Board of Education shall require all courses in history to maintain a focus on historically significant events, periods and persons and to present a complete view of history. Public school history courses may not be revised for the purpose of creating a skewed representation of history to disfavor the United States or its exceptionality.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2016.
