Bill would require at least one hour of classroom instruction on the origin and nature of communism; sponsor frames it as civic education

Representative Mike Moffat delivered testimony introducing House Bill 749, a measure that would require students to receive at least one hour of classroom instruction on the origin and nature of communism. Moffat said the proposal is designed to increase civic and historical understanding of twentieth‑century totalitarian ideologies and their global effects.

Moffat reviewed events and concepts he said students typically lack, citing the Cuban Missile Crisis, Stalin, Lenin, Mao, the Khmer Rouge killings in Cambodia, and other historical examples. “Should a one‑hour classroom session on the origin and nature of communism matter? Yes,” Moffat said, arguing students should understand how communist regimes operated and why those histories matter to contemporary geopolitics.

Richard Boulay, a former high‑school teacher who testified in support, described teaching a elective titled “Problems of Democracy” that covered communist regimes and civic values; he said an hour is a modest baseline and that many schools might adopt more extensive coverage. Boulay urged the committee to adopt the measure as a minimal, locally implemented requirement that preserves school control over curriculum specifics.

The bill does not require a specific course or assessment; Moffat said implementation would largely be left to local districts and that the Department of Education would likely issue guidance. The hearing included questions and brief discussion but the transcript records no committee action or recorded opposition within the excerpt. The sponsor acknowledged concerns about political labeling and historical debates and said the intent is educational and nonpartisan.

No vote or committee recommendation appears in the transcript excerpt; committee members indicated limited time and accepted testimony for the record.