WEST virginia Legislature

2021 regular session

Introduced

House Bill 2704

By Delegates Holstein and Mandt

[Introduced February 23, 2021; Referred to the Committee on Education then Finance]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new article, designated §18C-10-1, §18C-10-2, §18C-10-3, §18C-10-4, and §18C-10-5, all relating to creating the “Civic Minded Mountaineer Scholarship Act;” addressing legislative findings; establishing a framework for the test generally for all West Virginia students; establishing a $250 scholarship for students who achieve at least a 90% on the test; providing for mandatory participation; and providing an effective date.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 10.  civic minded mountaineer scholarship act.

§18C-10-1. Short Title.

This article shall be known and may be cited as the “Civic Minded Mountaineer Scholarship Act.”

§18C-10-2. Findings.

The Legislature of the State of West Virginia finds:

(1) That it is integral to keeping West Virginia students in-state following graduation from high school, and;

(2) That those West Virginia students who are intimately familiar with the history of our country, through the lessons of civics, are those best suited to help lead West Virginia forward, and;

(3) That the best way to keep students in state for higher education after high school graduation is to create financial incentives to do so, and;

(4) That this may be established through the “Civic Minded Mountaineer Scholarship.”

§18C-10-3. Scholarship requirements.

There shall be a test for students composed of at least fifty (50) questions from the United States Citizenship Examination. The LEA may prepare multiple versions of the test for use in different schools and at different times. A student must correctly answer at least sixty-five (65%) percent of the questions to receive a passing score on the test. A student with an IEP or enrolled in special education services shall be exempt from this requirement. The results are not required to be reported to the State Board of Education, and the student can retake the exam at any time in order to pass the exam. The exam shall not be counted positively or negatively toward the student’s grade in any individual course

The department shall recognize students for any school year in which all of the school's seniors receiving a regular diploma make a passing grade of ninety (90%) percent or more on the United States civics test required under this subsection by offering a non-renewable $250 scholarship for students who meet this threshold. This Scholarship shall be known as the “Civic-Minded Mountaineer Scholarship”

This scholarship shall only be applicable for in-state institutions including but not limited to: colleges, universities, vocational and technical schools, and online programs offered through in-state educational institutions. 

A student must take and pass the civics test required by this section in order to meet the social studies course credit requirements to earn a full diploma upon graduation from high school. A passing score on the civics test must be noted on a student's transcript as pass or fail only, without indicating the student’s individual grade.  The test may be taken at any point in high school from 9^th grade to 12^th grade.

§18C-10-4. Mandatory participation for test.

Participation in the United States Citizenship Examination shall be a mandatory prerequisite to graduation from high school in West Virginia.

§18C-10-5. Effective date.

This act shall take effect on July 31, 2021.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create the “Civic Minded Mountaineer Scholarship;” to establish a framework for the test generally; to establish a $250 scholarship for students who achieve at least a 90% on the test, and to provide an effective date.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.