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Senate
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322
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SENATE
FILE
322
BY
LOFGREN
(COMPANION
TO
HF
402
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
HIGHER
EDUCATION)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
establishing
completion
of
a
course
on
American
history
1
and
civil
government
as
a
requirement
for
the
completion
of
2
a
baccalaureate
degree
program
at
a
public
institution
of
3
higher
education.
4
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
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Section
1.
SHORT
TITLE.
This
Act
shall
be
known
and
may
be
1
cited
as
the
“Increasing
Civics
Proficiency
in
Higher
Education
2
Act”.
3
Sec.
2.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.1
Definitions.
4
As
used
in
this
chapter,
unless
the
context
otherwise
5
requires:
6
1.
“Basic
principles
of
the
United
States’
republican
form
7
of
government”
means
institutions
and
principles
to
preserve
8
liberty
and
prevent
misuse
of
government
power,
including
9
balance
of
power;
consent
of
the
governed;
the
electoral
10
college;
federalism
and
the
division
of
powers
between
the
11
federal
government
and
the
states;
individual
liberties;
rights
12
of
life,
liberty,
and
property;
popular
sovereignty;
religious
13
freedom;
an
educated
citizenry;
representative
government;
14
civilian
control
of
the
military;
rule
of
law;
control
of
15
faction;
checks
and
balances;
and
separation
of
powers
among
16
the
executive,
the
legislature,
and
the
judiciary.
17
2.
“Founding
documents”
means
texts
including
the
18
Mayflower
compact;
Common
Sense,
written
by
Thomas
Paine;
the
19
Declaration
of
Independence;
the
Articles
of
Confederation;
20
the
Pennsylvania
Act
for
the
gradual
abolition
of
slavery;
21
the
Virginia
statute
for
religious
freedom;
the
northwest
22
ordinance;
the
Constitution
of
the
United
States;
the
23
federalist
papers,
including
federalist
number
ten
and
24
federalist
number
fifty-one;
a
transcript
of
George
25
Washington’s
farewell
address;
relevant
excerpts
from
Democracy
26
in
America
written
by
Alexis
de
Tocqueville;
a
transcript
27
of
the
first
debate
between
Abraham
Lincoln
and
Stephen
A.
28
Douglas;
the
Emancipation
Proclamation;
and
the
writings
of
the
29
founding
fathers
of
the
United
States.
30
3.
“Historical
development
of
the
United
States’
republican
31
form
of
government”
means
events
including
the
federalist
and
32
antifederalist
debates;
the
rise
and
role
of
political
parties;
33
the
rise
of
Jacksonian
democracy;
the
expansion
of
the
ideals
34
and
institutions
of
liberty
and
republican
self-government
35
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to
include
all
Americans,
regardless
of
sex
or
race;
the
1
causes
and
the
constitutional
consequences
of
the
Civil
War;
2
the
thirteenth
amendment,
fourteenth
amendment,
fifteenth
3
amendment,
and
the
nineteenth
amendment
to
the
Constitution
4
of
the
United
States;
the
rise
of
the
new
deal
administrative
5
state;
and
United
States
supreme
court
cases,
including
Marbury
6
v.
Madison,
McCulloch
v.
Maryland,
Dred
Scott
v.
Sandford,
7
Pembina
consolidated
silver
mining
co.
v.
Pennsylvania,
Plessy
8
v.
Ferguson,
and
Brown
v.
Board
of
Education.
9
4.
“Public
institution
of
higher
education”
means
either
of
10
the
following:
11
a.
An
institution
of
higher
learning
governed
by
the
state
12
board
of
regents.
13
b.
A
community
college
with
respect
to
any
baccalaureate
14
degree
program
offered
by
the
community
college
and
to
any
15
student
enrolled
in
such
a
program.
16
Sec.
3.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.2
American
history
and
civil
17
government
course
required.
18
Beginning
with
the
academic
year
commencing
in
2027,
a
19
public
institution
of
higher
education
shall
establish
as
a
20
requirement
for
the
completion
of
any
baccalaureate
degree
21
program
that
a
student
complete
a
survey
course
in
American
22
history
and
civil
government
as
provided
in
this
chapter.
23
Sec.
4.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.3
Course
content.
24
1.
The
course
shall
instruct
students
in
subjects
including
25
but
not
limited
to
the
following:
26
a.
The
study
of
and
devotion
to
American
institutions
and
27
ideals.
28
b.
The
basic
principles
of
the
United
States’
republican
29
form
of
government.
30
c.
The
historical
development
of
the
United
States’
31
republican
form
of
government.
32
d.
Comparison
of
the
United
States’
republican
form
of
33
government
with
different
forms
of
government
including
34
dictatorship,
monarchy,
oligarchy,
theocracy,
communism,
and
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autocracy.
1
e.
An
understanding
of
the
Constitution
of
the
United
States
2
and
the
Constitution
of
the
State
of
Iowa.
3
f.
Knowledge
of
the
founding
documents
and
how
they
have
4
shaped
the
nature
and
functions
of
American
institutions
of
5
self-governance.
6
g.
An
understanding
of
landmark
cases
of
the
United
States
7
supreme
court
and
their
effects
on
law
and
society.
8
2.
The
course
shall
require
students
to
read
documents
9
including
but
not
limited
to
the
following:
10
a.
The
Constitution
of
the
United
States.
11
b.
The
Declaration
of
Independence.
12
c.
The
Declaration
of
Rights
of
the
Women
of
the
United
13
States.
14
d.
The
Emancipation
Proclamation.
15
e.
At
least
five
essays
from
the
federalist
papers,
as
16
determined
by
the
instructor.
17
f.
Dr.
Martin
Luther
King
Jr.’s
letter
from
Birmingham
jail.
18
g.
The
Gettysburg
Address.
19
Sec.
5.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.4
Course
credit
and
graduation
20
requirements.
21
1.
A
public
institution
of
higher
education
shall
assign
22
a
value
of
at
least
three
semester
hours
of
credit
or
its
23
equivalent
to
the
course
required
by
this
chapter.
24
2.
The
course
required
by
this
chapter
shall
fulfill
any
25
general
education
requirement
in
the
social
sciences
that
a
26
student
is
required
to
complete
as
a
condition
of
graduation.
27
Sec.
6.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.5
Student
transfers.
28
If
a
student
completes
the
course
required
by
this
chapter
29
at
a
public
institution
of
higher
education
and
subsequently
30
transfers
to
another
such
institution,
the
student
shall
not
be
31
required
to
complete
the
course
again.
32
EXPLANATION
33
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
34
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
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This
bill
requires
a
public
institution
of
higher
education
1
to
establish
as
a
requirement
for
the
completion
of
any
2
baccalaureate
degree
program
that
a
student
complete
a
3
survey
course
in
American
history
and
civil
government.
The
4
requirement
begins
with
the
academic
year
commencing
in
2027.
5
The
bill
provides
minimum
required
subjects
that
must
be
taught
6
and
documents
that
students
must
read
as
part
of
the
course.
7
The
bill
defines
a
public
institution
of
higher
education
8
as
a
regents
institution
or
a
community
college
with
respect
9
to
any
baccalaureate
degree
program
offered
by
the
community
10
college
and
to
any
student
enrolled
in
such
a
program.
11
The
bill
provides
that
the
course
shall
be
assigned
a
12
value
of
three
semester
hours
of
credit
and
that
the
course
13
shall
fulfill
any
general
education
requirement
in
the
social
14
sciences
that
is
a
graduation
requirement.
The
bill
provides
15
that
a
student
shall
not
be
required
to
complete
the
course
16
again
if
transferring
to
another
public
institution
of
higher
17
education.
18
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