BILL NUMBER: AB 199 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 17, 2011
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Cook
and Ma Ma and Cook
(Principal coauthor: Senator Yee)
JANUARY 27, 2011
An act relating to pupil instruction. An
act to amend Section 51221.4 of the Education Code, relating to
school curriculum.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 199, as amended, Cook Ma .
Pupil instruction School curriculum :
social sciences: Filipinos in World War II.
Existing law requires the adopted course of study for grades 7 to
12, inclusive, to include instruction in social sciences, which is
permitted to include instruction on World War II and the American
role in that war. Existing law encourages that instruction to
include a component drawn from personal testimony of American
soldiers who were involved in World War II and those men and women
who contributed to the war effort on the homefront.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact
legislation that would include instruction on the role of Filipinos
in World War II in the instruction of pupils in social sciences.
Existing law also encourages the required instruction in social
sciences to include instruction on the Vietnam War, including the
"Secret War" in Laos, and the role of Southeast Asians in that war.
Those provisions encourage that instruction to include a component
drawn from personal testimony of Southeast Asians who were involved
in the Vietnam War and those men and women who contributed to the war
effort on the homefront. School districts are required to implement
this instruction in a manner that does not result in the imposition
of new duties or programs.
This bill would encourage instruction in social sciences for
grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to include instruction on World War II and
the role of Filipinos in that war, and would encourage that
instruction to include a component drawn from personal testimony, as
provided.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 51221.4 of the
Education Code is amended to read:
51221.4. (a) The Legislature encourages instruction in the area
of social sciences, as required pursuant to subdivision (b) of
Section 51220, which may to include
instruction on the Vietnam war War,
including the "Secret War" in Laos , and the role of
Southeast Asians in that war. The Legislature encourages
that this instruction to include, but not be
limited to, a component drawn from personal testimony, especially in
the form of oral or video history histories
of Southeast Asians who were involved in the Vietnam
war War and those men and women who contributed
to the war effort on the homefront. The oral histories used as a part
of the instruction regarding the role of Southeast Asians in the
Vietnam war War and the "Secret War" in
Laos shall exemplify the personal sacrifice and courage of the wide
range of ordinary citizens who were called upon to participate and
provide intelligence for the United States. The oral histories shall
contain the views and comments of their subjects regarding the
reasons for their participation in the war. These oral histories
shall also solicit comments from their subjects regarding the
aftermath of the war and the immigration of Southeast Asians to the
United States.
(b) (1) The Legislature encourages the instruction required
pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 51220 to include instruction
on World War II and the role of Filipinos in that war, consisting of
an accurate history of the contributions of the Filipino American
veterans who fought courageously in the United States Army for
freedom and democracy in World War II under the leadership of General
Douglas MacArthur.
(2) The Legislature encourages the instruction described in
paragraph (1) to include a component drawn from personal testimony,
especially in the form of oral or video histories of Filipinos who
were involved in World War II and those men and women who contributed
to the war effort on the homefront. The oral histories used as a
part of the instruction regarding the role of Filipinos in World War
II are encouraged to do all of the following:
(A) Exemplify the personal sacrifice and courage of the wide range
of ordinary citizens who were called upon to participate and to
provide intelligence for the United States.
(B) Contain the views and comments of their subjects regarding the
reasons for their participation in the war.
(C) Solicit comments from their subjects regarding the aftermath
of the war and the immigration of Filipinos to the United States.
(b)
(c) This section shall be carried out in a manner that
does not result in any new duties or programs
being imposed on the school district. In that regard, the Legislature
finds and declares that this section does not mandate costs to local
agencies or school districts and that materials used to comply with
this section shall be part of normal curriculum materials purchased
by school districts in their normal course of business and purchasing
cycles.
SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature
to enact legislation that would include instruction on the role of
Filipinos in World War II in the instruction of pupils in social
sciences.