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House committee passes bill requiring instruction on founding fathers' religious and moral beliefs in grades 6–12
Summary
A House Education Committee vote moved HB 1705 forward after several hours of testimony and questions over how schools should teach the historical influence of religion on the nation’s founders.
A House Education Committee vote moved HB 1705 forward after several hours of testimony and questions over how schools should teach the historical influence of religion on the nation’s founders.
The bill requires the Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to review and, where needed, embed certain material about how the religious and moral beliefs of the founding generation influenced the framing of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution into social studies standards for grades six through 12 beginning with the 2026–27 school year.
Supporters told the committee that the measure is aimed at improving civic knowledge by…
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