H 4392  General Bill, By Bennett and Jones
 A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, TO ENACT THE "KEEP
 PARTISANSHIP OUT OF CIVICS ACT" BY ADDING SECTION 59-29-235 SO AS TO PROVIDE
 TEACHERS OF CIVICS AND RELATED COURSEWORK IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAY NOT BE
 COMPELLED TO DISCUSS CERTAIN TOPICS OR AFFIRM CERTAIN BELIEFS, TO PROHIBIT
 CREDIT FROM BEING AWARDED FOR CERTAIN STUDENT LOBBYING ACTIVITIES, TO PROHIBIT
 THE USE OF PRIVATE FUNDING FOR CURRICULUM OR TEACHER TRAINING CONCERNING
 CIVICS AND RELATED COURSEWORK, AND TO PROHIBIT CERTAIN CONCEPTS FROM INCLUSION
 IN CURRICULUM OR INSTRUCTION, AMONG OTHER THINGS.

   05/13/21  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 20)
   05/13/21  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works (House Journal-page 20)

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, TO ENACT THE "KEEP PARTISANSHIP OUT OF CIVICS ACT" BY ADDING SECTION 59-29-235 SO AS TO PROVIDE TEACHERS OF CIVICS AND RELATED COURSEWORK IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAY NOT BE COMPELLED TO DISCUSS CERTAIN TOPICS OR AFFIRM CERTAIN BELIEFS, TO PROHIBIT CREDIT FROM BEING AWARDED FOR CERTAIN STUDENT LOBBYING ACTIVITIES, TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF PRIVATE FUNDING FOR CURRICULUM OR TEACHER TRAINING CONCERNING CIVICS AND RELATED COURSEWORK, AND TO PROHIBIT CERTAIN CONCEPTS FROM INCLUSION IN CURRICULUM OR INSTRUCTION, AMONG OTHER THINGS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    This act must be known and may be cited as the "Keep Partisanship Out of Civics Act".

SECTION    2.    Article 1, Chapter 29, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

    "Section 59-29-235.    (A)    A teacher of history, civics, U.S. government and politics, social studies, or similar subject areas, whether for regular credit or advanced placement credit, may not be compelled by a policy of a state agency, school district, or school administration to discuss current events or widely debated and currently controversial issues of public policy or social affairs.

    (B)    In a course on history, civics, U.S. government and politics, social studies, or similar subject areas, whether for regular credit or advanced placement credit, no school may require, make part of such course, or award course grading or credit to:

        (1)    student work for, affiliation with, or service learning in association with, an organization engaged in lobbying for legislation at the local, state, or federal level, or in social or public policy advocacy; or

        (2)    lobbying for legislation at the local, state, or federal level, or a practicum, or like activity, involving social or public policy advocacy.

    (C)    Private funding may not be accepted by state agencies or school districts for curriculum development, purchase or choice of curricular materials, teacher training, professional development, or continuing teacher education pertaining to courses on history, civics, U.S. government and politics, social studies, or similar subject areas, whether for regular credit or advanced placement credit.

    (D)    A teacher may not be compelled by a policy of a state agency, school district, or school administration to affirm a belief in anything characterized as the systemic nature of racism, or like ideas, or in anything characterized as the multiplicity or fluidity of gender identities, or like ideas, against the sincerely held religious or philosophical convictions of the teacher.

    (E)    A state agency, school district, or school may not teach, instruct, or train an administrator, teacher, staff member, or employee to adopt or believe the following concepts:

        (1)    one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex;

        (2)    an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously;

        (3)    an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of the individual's race;

        (4)    members of one race cannot or should not attempt to treat others without respect to race;

        (5)    an individual's moral standing or worth is necessarily determined by his or her race or sex;

        (6)    an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex;

        (7)    an individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or another form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex;

        (8)    meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic are racist or sexist or were created by members of a particular race to oppress members of another race; or

        (9)    fault, blame, or bias should be assigned to a race or sex or to members of a race or sex because of their race or sex.

    (F)    A teacher, administrator, or other employee in a state agency, school district, charter school, or school administration may not approve for use, make use of, or carry out, standards, curricula, lesson plans, textbooks, instructional materials, or instructional practices that serve to inculcate the following concepts:

        (1)    one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex;

        (2)    an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously;

        (3)    an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of the individual's race;

        (4)    members of one race cannot and should not attempt to treat others without respect to race;

        (5)    an individual's moral standing or worth is necessarily determined by his or her race or sex;

        (6)    an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex;

        (7)    an individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or another form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex;

        (8)    meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic are racist or sexist or were created by a members of a particular race to oppress members of another race;

        (9)    that the advent of slavery in the territory that is now the United States constituted the true founding of the United States; or

        (10)    that, with respect to their relationship to American values, slavery and racism are anything other than deviations from, betrayals of, or failures to live up to, the authentic founding principles of the United States, which include liberty and equality."

SECTION    3.    If any section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this act is for any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such holding shall not affect the constitutionality or validity of the remaining portions of this act, the General Assembly hereby declaring that it would have passed this act, and each and every section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, and word thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more other sections, subsections, paragraphs, subparagraphs, sentences, clauses, phrases, or words hereof may be declared to be unconstitutional, invalid, or otherwise ineffective.

SECTION    4.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.