Senate Bill No. 633
(By Senators Oliverio and Boley)
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[Introduced February 22, 1999;
referred to the Committee on Education.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact section nine, article two, chapter
eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to required courses
of instruction in high schools; requiring courses comprising
an additional credit of civics and economics for high school
seniors; and continuing existing criminal penalties for
violations.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section nine, article two, chapter eighteen of the code
of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
§18-2-9. Required courses of instruction; violation and penalty.
(a) In all public, private, parochial and denominational schools located within this state there shall be given prior to
the completion of the eighth grade at least one year of
instruction in the history of the state of West Virginia.
Such
The schools shall require regular courses of instruction by the
completion of the twelfth grade in the history of the United
States, in civics, in the constitution of the United States, and
in the government of the state of West Virginia for the purpose
of teaching, fostering and perpetuating the ideals, principles
and spirit of political and economic democracy in America and
increasing the knowledge of the organization and machinery of the
government of the United States and of the state of West
Virginia.
Beginning in the school year starting in the year one
thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, all students in the twelfth
grade are required to complete an additional credit of civics and
economics. The credit shall be comprised of two one semester
courses. One course shall be in civics or government processes
and one course shall be in economics. The additional credit is in
addition to credit requirements existing on the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine. The state board
of education shall, with the advice of the state superintendent
of schools, prescribe the courses of study covering these
subjects for the public schools. It
shall be is the duty of the
officials or boards having authority over the respective private,
parochial and denominational schools to prescribe courses of
study for the schools under their control and supervision similar
to those required for the public schools. To further such study,
every high school student eligible by age for voter registration
shall be afforded the opportunity to register to vote pursuant to
section twenty-two, article two, chapter three of this code.
(b) The state board of education shall cause to be taught in
all of the public schools of this state the subject of health
education, including instruction in any of the grades six through
twelve as deemed considered appropriate by the county board, on:
(1) The prevention, transmission and spread of acquired immune
deficiency syndrome and other sexually transmitted diseases; and
(2) substance abuse, including the nature of alcoholic drinks and
narcotics, tobacco products, and other potentially harmful drugs,
with special instruction as to their effect upon the human system and upon society in general. The course curriculum requirements
and materials for
such the instruction shall be adopted by the
state board by rule in consultation with the department of
health.
An opportunity shall be afforded to the parent or guardian
of a child subject to instruction in the prevention, transmission
and spread of acquired immune deficiency syndrome and other
sexually transmitted diseases to examine the course curriculum
requirements and materials to be used in such the instruction.
The parent or guardian may exempt such their child from
participation in such the instruction by giving notice to that
effect in writing to the school principal.
(c) Any person violating the provisions of this section
shall be is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof,
shall be fined not exceeding ten dollars for each violation, and
each week during which there is a violation shall constitute is
a separate offense. If the person so convicted occupy occupies
a position in connection with the public schools, that person
shall is automatically be removed from such his or her position
and shall be is ineligible for reappointment to that or a similar position for
the period of one year.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require an additional
credit of civics and economics courses for high school seniors.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.