HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1513        FILED ON: 1/18/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 222

 

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

1/18/2017

Elizabeth A. Poirier

14th Bristol

1/20/2017

Timothy R. Whelan

1st Barnstable

 

Kimberly N. Ferguson

1st Worcester

 

Mathew Muratore

1st Plymouth

 

Shawn Dooley

9th Norfolk

1/24/2017

William L. Crocker, Jr.

2nd Barnstable

 

Steven S. Howitt

4th Bristol

 

Susan Williams Gifford

2nd Plymouth

 

Michael J. Finn

6th Hampden

 

James R. Miceli

19th Middlesex

 

James M. Cantwell

4th Plymouth

 

Michael S. Day

31st Middlesex

 

Randy Hunt

5th Barnstable

 

Paul R. Heroux

2nd Bristol

 

Jonathan D. Zlotnik

2nd Worcester

 

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

 

Hannah Kane

11th Worcester

 

Donald R. Berthiaume, Jr.

5th Worcester

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1513        FILED ON: 1/18/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 222

By Mr. Barrows of Mansfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 222) 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. 307 OF 2015-2016.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

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, 2017, in order that the provisions of this act may be implemented in the following school year.