HF 3010

1st Engrossment - 82nd Legislature (2001 - 2002) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; enacting the American Heritage 
  1.3             Education in Minnesota Public Schools Act; proposing 
  1.4             coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 120B.
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [120B.25] [AMERICAN HERITAGE EDUCATION.] 
  1.7      (a) School districts shall adopt a policy to allow for 
  1.8   grade-level instruction to assure that all students are 
  1.9   encouraged, and have the opportunity, to read and study 
  1.10  America's founding documents that are pertinent to understanding 
  1.11  the principles, character, and world view of America's founders; 
  1.12  including documents that contributed to the foundation or 
  1.13  maintenance of America's representative republican form of 
  1.14  limited government, our free-market economic system, and 
  1.15  patriotism.  Districts shall permit principals and teachers, in 
  1.16  the ordinary course of their duties, to use, read, or post in a 
  1.17  public school building or classroom any excerpts or portions of 
  1.18  the documents, writings, speeches, proclamations, or records 
  1.19  relating to the history, heritage, or foundation of the United 
  1.20  States or the state of Minnesota, including, but not limited to: 
  1.21     (1) the Mayflower compact; 
  1.22     (2) the Declaration of Independence; 
  1.23     (3) the Constitutions of the United States and the state of 
  1.24  Minnesota and the Bill of Rights; 
  1.25     (4) the Federalist Papers; 
  2.1      (5) the Northwest Ordinance of 1787; 
  2.2      (6) the Pledge of Allegiance in its original and current 
  2.3   forms and the national anthem; 
  2.4      (7) Washington's farewell address to the nation, Lincoln's 
  2.5   Gettysburg address, and other writings from George Washington 
  2.6   Carver, Phyllis Wheatley, and Martin Luther King; and 
  2.7      (8) the published records of Congress and the United States 
  2.8   Supreme Court decisions. 
  2.9      (b) In the ordinary course of providing instruction and 
  2.10  curriculum, districts may not prohibit the use of documents, 
  2.11  writings, speeches, proclamations, or records described under 
  2.12  paragraph (a) based on religious references.  These and any 
  2.13  other materials must be used for educational purposes and not to 
  2.14  establish any religion. 
  2.15     (c) Students may voluntarily choose to read, write, share, 
  2.16  report, or otherwise study a topic which is religious in nature 
  2.17  provided other students are provided with the same opportunity 
  2.18  to freely choose a topic. 
  2.19     [EFFECTIVE DATE.] This section is effective the day 
  2.20  following final enactment. 
  2.21     Sec. 2.  [TITLE.] 
  2.22     Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.25, shall be known as the 
  2.23  American Heritage Education in Minnesota Public Schools Act.  
  2.24     [EFFECTIVE DATE.] This section is effective the day 
  2.25  following final enactment.