Civics education bill SB 23 adopted as committee substitute; lawmakers ask districts for implementation details
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Summary
Sen. Gary Stevens’ SB 23, which would codify civics resources and create a new high‑school civics requirement (course, test, or project), had its committee substitute adopted April 1. Committee members asked for district cost and proctoring information and held the bill for a future hearing with district representatives.
Sen. Gary Stevens introduced Senate Bill 23 to the House Education Committee on April 1 and described it as a long‑running effort to encourage student engagement with government by codifying free, publicly available civics resources and aligning the work with the state’s 2024 social‑studies standards.
Tim Lampkin, staff to Sen. Stevens, told the committee the latest 'T' version narrows the obligation for the Department and State Board of Education: rather than developing curriculum or assessments, the bill asks those entities to compile and post freely available materials that districts and teachers may use. Lampkin said that change substantially reduces the fiscal note from earlier drafts.
The committee adopted a House committee substitute to the CS for SB 23 without recorded objection.
Much of the hearing focused on how SB 23 creates a high‑school graduation requirement (options include taking a course, passing a test, or completing a project), whether districts will need proctors or extra documentation, and how students with disabilities would be accommodated. Representatives asked for concrete examples of assessments and for district feedback on implementation and costs; the chair said she would invite urban and rural district representatives and department staff to the next hearing.
Lampkin and Sen. Stevens emphasized that the bill leaves implementation discretion to districts, pointed to existing free resources such as iCivics and said the bill is meant to acknowledge student excellence (for example with transcript/diploma seals) rather than mandate a single statewide test.
The committee held SB 23 for a future meeting to gather district perspectives and additional information from the Department of Education and Early Development.
