Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Civics Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Student-backed bill to fund civic field trips advances after amendment
Summary
A student-led proposal to allocate three school days for civics field trips advanced out of the subcommittee after the committee added a drafting amendment; sponsor said the language is flexible and allows online alternatives.
Representative Freeman presented House Bill 17-47 on March 3 and offered a drafting amendment (012824) that the committee voted to add. Freeman then introduced Jacob Franci, a senior at Innsworth High School, who testified that the idea originated with students and aims to boost civic knowledge and youth voter engagement through experiential learning.
"So this bill essentially, would allocate 3 school days to field trips to students who are in civics classes or, government classes and they would take them to all 3 branches of the government," Franci said, describing visits to local executive offices, the legislature and a judicial site as the intended activities.
Representative Johnson praised the proposal as complementary to existing standards and said in-person experiences help students understand what they are voting for. Representative Freeman clarified that the amended language is intentionally flexible: visits could include a mayor's office, a courthouse or the General Assembly, and the bill allows online instruction if an in-person option is not available.
The committee recorded a vote in favor of advancing House Bill 17-47 (4 ayes); the bill will proceed to the full Education Committee.
