Bill Text: WV HB2073 | 2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Making available elective courses on the history of the old and new testaments of the bible
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-02-08 - To House Education [HB2073 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2017-HB2073-Introduced.html
West Virginia Legislature
2017 Regular Session
Introduced
House Bill 2073
By Delegate Rodighiero
[Introduced February 8, 2017; referred to the
Committee on Education then the Judiciary.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §18-2-9 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to courses of instruction in all schools located within this state; and making available elective courses on the history of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §18-2-9 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
§18-2-9. Required courses of instruction; violation and penalty.
(a) In all public, private, parochial and
denominational schools located within this state, there shall be given prior to
the completion of the eighth grade at least one year of instruction in the
history of the State of West Virginia. The schools shall require regular
courses of instruction by the completion of the twelfth grade in the history of
the United States, in civics, in the Constitution of the United States, and
in the government of the State of West Virginia for the purpose of teaching,
fostering and perpetuating the ideals, principles and spirit of political and
economic democracy in America and increasing the knowledge of the organization
and machinery of the government of the United States and of the State of West
Virginia and making available, as an elective course of instruction, the
history of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The state board shall,
with the advice of the state superintendent, prescribe the courses of study
covering these subjects for the public schools. It shall be the duty of
The officials or boards having authority over the respective private, parochial
and denominational schools to shall prescribe courses of study
for the schools under their control and supervision similar to those required
for the public schools. To further such study, every high school student
eligible by age for voter registration shall be afforded the opportunity to
register to vote pursuant to section twenty-two, article two, chapter three of
this code.
(b) The state board shall cause to be taught in all of the public schools of this state the subject of health education, including instruction in any of the grades six through twelve as considered appropriate by the county board, on: (1) The prevention, transmission and spread of acquired immune deficiency syndrome and other sexually transmitted diseases; (2) substance abuse, including the nature of alcoholic drinks and narcotics, tobacco products, and other potentially harmful drugs, with special instruction as to their effect upon the human system and upon society in general; (3) the importance of healthy eating and physical activity to maintaining healthy weight; and (4) education concerning CPR and First Aid. The course curriculum requirements and materials for the instruction shall be adopted by the state board by rule in consultation with the Department of Health and Human Resources. The state board shall prescribe a standardized health education assessment to be administered within health education classes to measure student health knowledge and program effectiveness.
An opportunity shall be afforded to the parent or guardian of a child subject to instruction in the prevention, transmission and spread of acquired immune deficiency syndrome and other sexually transmitted diseases to examine the course curriculum requirements and materials to be used in the instruction. The parent or guardian may exempt the child from participation in the instruction by giving notice to that effect in writing to the school principal.
(c) Any person violating the provisions of
this section shall be is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon
conviction thereof, shall be fined not exceeding $10 for each violation, and
each week during which there is a violation shall constitute a separate
offense. If the person so convicted occupy occupies a
position in connection with the public schools, that person shall automatically
be removed from that position and shall be ineligible for reappointment to that
or a similar position for the period of one year.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to make available elective courses of instruction in all schools located within this state on the history of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
