Amended in Assembly March 18, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1912

Introduced by Assembly Member Holden

begin insert

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Gonzalez, Hall, and Ting)

end insert

February 19, 2014

An act to add Section 33543 to the Education Code, relating to pupil instruction.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1912, as amended, Holden. Pupil instruction: history-social science framework: election of President Barack Obama.

Existing law requires the Instructional Quality Commission to recommend curriculum frameworks to the State Board of Education. Existing law defines “curriculum framework” as an outline of the components of a given course of study designed to provide state direction to school districts in the provision of instructional programs.

This bill would require the commission and the state board to consider including, in the history-social science curriculum framework adopted in the course of the next submission cycle begin delete following January 1, 2015 end delete , instruction on the election of President Barack Obama and the significance of the United States electing its first African American President, as appropriate.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

(a) The election of Barack Hussein Obama to the office of
President of the United States was a historic step in the effort
towards equality in the United States.

(b) Before the Civil Rights Movement, intimidation and physical
violence prevented millions of African Americans from voting
and alienated them from the electoral process.

(c) The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a civil rights victory
that inspired more ethnic minorities to register to vote and pursue
elected office.

(d) Barack Obama attended Harvard Law School where he
became the first African American president of the Harvard Law
Review.

(e) After law school, Barack Obama worked to fulfill the spirit
of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by encouraging people to register
to vote.

(f) Barack Obama was first elected to the Illinois State Senate
in 1996 and to the United States Senate in 2004.

(g) Senator Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of
the United States and first African American President on
November 4, 2008, and was sworn in on January 20, 2009.

(h) In honor of begin delete this milestone in civil rights end delete begin insert his extraordinary
efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation
between peoples end insert , President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize.

(i) President Obama was reelected on November 6, 2012, and
was sworn in for his second term on January 20, 2013.

SEC. 2.  

Section 33543 is added to the Education Code, to read:

33543.  

The commission and the state board shall consider
including, in the history-social science curriculum framework
adopted in the course of the next submission cycle begin delete following
January 1, 2015 end delete , instruction on the election of President Barack
Obama and the significance of the United States electing its first
African American President, as appropriate.