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Committee adopts amendment and advances bill requiring instruction on ‘Victims of Communism Day’
Summary
House Bill 2,089, as amended, would require LEAs and public charter schools that offer world history or geography to provide at least 45 minutes of instruction on Nov. 7 (Victims of Communism Day), with an amendment clarifying how the date is handled if it falls on a weekend; members debated classroom time burdens but sponsor and others said the requirement aligns with standards work.
The committee adopted an amendment (13,641) that clarifies scheduling for Victims of Communism Day instruction and advanced House Bill 2,089 to calendar and rules.
Sponsor said the bill requires local education agencies and public charter schools that provide a world-history or geography course to give students at least 45 minutes of instruction related to Victims of Communism Day and the historical harms of communist regimes. "House Bill 2,089 requires each LEA and public charter school that provides a world history geography course... shall provide the students enrolled in the course with at least 45 minutes of instruction on victims of communism day," the sponsor said (Lawmaker (Speaker 12)).
Several members questioned whether the requirement adds burdens to already-full teacher schedules. "To have 45 minutes of instruction forced on them, when they have a curriculum that they already developed, seems a bit heavy handed," a member said (Rev McKenzie (Speaker 8)). The sponsor and other members said the instruction is modest and will align with upcoming standards changes being drafted by the state board and department, and one member noted the companion standards bill moving through the House.
The committee recorded an 11–3 (reported earlier as 11 ayes, 3 nays in committee) favorable vote to move the bill to calendar and rules.
Provenance: topicintro SEG 455, topfinish SEG 712.
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