Education-Understanding federal and state government.

21LSO-0524
2021
STATE OF WYOMING
21LSO-0524
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0177

Education-Understanding federal and state government.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Haroldson, Fortner, Jennings, Neiman, Ottman and Styvar and Senator(s) Boner, Hutchings and Steinmetz

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to education; requiring comprehensive instruction in American history, government and civics that includes rigorous study of the primary documents and sources of the nation's history as specified; requiring the school district to make curricular materials available for inspection; specifying applicability; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 21
‑
9
‑
105 is created to read:

21
‑
9
‑
105.

Instruction in federal and state government.

(a)

Each school district providing education in government and civics under W.S. 21
‑
9
‑
101(b)(i)(N) shall provide instruction that prepares students for informed, engaged citizenship in local, state and national affairs based on an understanding of American history and institutions of government, the political philosophy that informs them and the challenges encountered by the nation and its institutions of freedom. Instruction under this subsection shall include:

(i)

The history of the United States and the state of Wyoming and the impact of these histories on the present;

(ii)

The basic principles of state government and of the American constitutional democracy and the application of those principles to the democratic republic;

(iii)

Study of the Wyoming state constitution under W.S. 21
‑
9
‑
102 including how the constitution was developed;

(iv)

Study of the United States constitution under W.S. 21
‑
9
‑
102 including the debates surrounding the adoption of the constitution and study of the declaration of independence and other essential founding documents and the ongoing impact of those documents on American institutions of self
‑
governance;

(v)

Study of landmark supreme court cases and their application and impact on law and society;

(vi)

Study of the civic virtues necessary for effective citizenship and participation in a self
‑
governing democratic republic;

(vii)

Study of the freedoms enumerated in the bill of rights and their importance today;

(viii)

Study of the protections enumerated in the bill of rights;

(ix)

The addition of the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to the United States constitution and their importance to the civil rights movement and today;

(x)

Study of the changing role of religion and the family in American history;

(xi)

Study of threats encountered by the democratic republic and free society including:

(A)

Slavery;

(B)

The political extremisms of fascism and communism;

(C)

Religious prejudice and discrimination;

(D)

Identity politics;

(E)

Corruption in government;

(F)

Fiscal mismanagement.

(b)

Each school district shall make available during regular business hours for inspection by any parent or guardian of a child enrolled in the school district the curricular materials used to provide instruction under subsection (a) of this section. If the curricular materials are digital, the school district shall provide detail to the parent or guardian on how to access the materials and, if necessary, shall make a computer available for that purpose to the parent or guardian to access the materials during regular business hours.

Section 2
.

The provisions of W.S. 21
‑
9
‑
105 created by section 1 of this act shall apply to school districts beginning in school year 2023
‑
2024.

Section 3
.

This act is effective July 1, 2021
.

(END)

1
HB0177