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HB0168a -1- HB 168
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HOUSE BILL NO. 168
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION
BY REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON
Introduced: 4/2/25
Referred: Education, Finance
A BILL
FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
"An Act relating to civics education, civics assessments, and s econdary school 1
graduation requirements; and providing for an effective date." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. AS 14.03 is amended by adding a new section to read: 4
Sec. 14.03.076. Comparative governme nt and civics curriculum an d 5
assessments requirement. (a) The board shall develop and periodically review a 6
statewide comparative government and civics education curriculu m, civics 7
assessment, and civics project-based assessment. The civics ass essment must be 8
composed of 100 questions drawn from those set out in the civic s portion of the 9
naturalization examination used by the United States Citizenshi p and Immigration 10
Services of the Department of Ho meland Security. A school distr ict may use the 11
curriculum developed by the board to educate students in comparative government and 12
civics. 13
(b) The curriculum developed under (a) of this section must in clude 14
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HB 168 -2- HB0168a
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instruction on 1
(1) the founding history of the United States, including found ational 2
documents and the principles of government of the United States; 3
(2) federalism, including the role and operations of local, st ate, and 4
national governments; 5
(3) the institutions of the United States government, includin g the 6
responsibilities of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches; 7
(4) the rights and responsibilities of United States citizenship; 8
(5) civil liberties and civil rights; 9
(6) the Constitution of the State of Alaska and the Constituti on of the 10
United States; 11
(7) political parties and interest groups; 12
(8) campaigns and elections; 13
(9) the United States Congress; 14
(10) domestic policy; 15
(11) foreign policy; 16
(12) comparative systems of governments used globally and by Alaska 17
Natives; 18
(13) international relations; and 19
(14) major issues facing local, state, and the United States 20
governments. 21
(c) A school may not issue a secondary school diploma to a stu dent unless the 22
student 23
(1) has completed one semester of a comparative government and 24
civics education course that in cludes instruction on the topics listed in (b) of this 25
section; 26
(2) has achieved a passing score on the civics assessment deve loped 27
under (a) of this section; 28
(3) provides the governing body with evidence that the student h a s 29
achieved a passing score on a test similar to the civics assess ment developed under (a) 30
of this section within the previous five years; 31
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(4) has achieved a passing score on a civics project-based ass essment 1
developed under (a) of this section; 2
(5) provides the governing body with evidence that the student h a s 3
achieved a passing score on a civics project-based assessment s imilar to the civics 4
project-based assessment developed under (a) of this section while in high school; or 5
(6) is a student with a disability who receives a waiver from the 6
governing body. 7
(d) Notwithstanding (c) of this section, a school may issue a secondary school 8
diploma to a student who has not m et the requirements of (c) of this section if the 9
student transferred into a stat e public school after completing grade 10 or has already 10
successfully completed a high school state history course from another state. 11
(e) If a student has achieved a passing score on the civics as sessment 12
developed under (a) of this s ection, the school shall document on the student's 13
transcript that the student ach ieved a passing score. A student m a y r e t a k e t h e 14
assessment as needed to achieve a passing score. 15
(f) The department shall adopt regulations to recognize a stud ent who has 16
attained a high level of profi ciency in civic knowledge, civic skills, a civic mindset, 17
and civic experiences by affixing a seal of civic readiness on the student's school 18
transcript and diploma. 19
(g) A school district shall a llow a student to fulfill the req uirements of (c) of 20
this section by taking a comparative government and civics educ ation course that 21
includes instruction on the topics listed in (b) of this sectio n. A school district may 22
allow a student to fulfill the requirements of (c) of this sect ion by achieving a passing 23
score on a civics assessment or civics project-based assessment. 24
(h) In this section, "passing score" means a student correctly a n s w e r s 7 0 25
percent or more of the questions on a civics assessment or rece i v e s a s c o r e o f 7 0 26
percent or higher on a civics project-based assessment. 27
* Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 28
read: 29
TRANSITION: GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS. The requirement that a sch ool 30
only issue a secondary school diploma to a student who has met the requirements set out in 31
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AS 14.03.076(c), enacted by sec. 1 of this Act, applies to stud ents who enter grade nine on or 1
after July 1, 2026. 2
* Sec. 3. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026. 3