HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 853        FILED ON: 1/15/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 330

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

F. Jay Barrows

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act directing the Department of Education to include a course in civics as a high school graduation requirement.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

F. Jay Barrows

1st Bristol

 

Stephen L. DiNatale

3rd Worcester

1/16/2013

David T. Vieira

3rd Barnstable

 

Elizabeth A. Poirier

14th Bristol

 

Donald Humason

 

 

Michael F. Rush

Norfolk and Suffolk

1/22/2013

Linda Campbell

15th Essex

1/16/2013

Ellen Story

3rd Hampshire

 

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

 

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

 

Ann-Margaret Ferrante

5th Essex

 

Denise Andrews

2nd Franklin

 

Kimberly N. Ferguson

1st Worcester

 

Tom Sannicandro

7th Middlesex

 

Thomas J. Calter

12th Plymouth

 

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

 

Carlos Henriquez

5th Suffolk

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 853        FILED ON: 1/15/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 330

By Mr. Barrows of Mansfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 330) of F. Jay Barrows and others for legislation to direct  the Department of Education to include a course in civics as a high school graduation requirement.  Education.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 136 OF 2011-2012.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

_______________

 

An Act directing the Department of Education to include a course in civics as a high school graduation requirement.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1:  Section 2 of Chapter 71 of the General Laws is amended, in line 7, by inserting after “ … for the duties of citizenship.” The following:

The successful completion of a course in civics shall be mandated as a requirement for all students in order to receive their high school diploma. The department of education shall set guidelines for all school districts relative to the implementation of the civics course. At minimum, the course must educate students in the following criteria: Composition of local, state, and federal government,

Function of the branches of local, state, and federal government, Responsibilities and duties as an American citizen, Opportunities for voter participation, Exposure to current events and identification of government officials

SECTION 2: The department shall take all reasonable efforts to accomplish the establishment of necessary regulations by May 1, 2015, in order that the provisions of this act may be implemented in the following school year.