BOSTON — Completion of a student-led civics project after the eighth grade would become a requirement to graduate from high school in Massachusetts under a civics education bill the Senate plans to debate Thursday.
Beginning with the graduating class of 2022, public school students in Massachusetts would be required to participate in two student-led civics projects, one of which must be completed after grade eight in order to graduate high school, under the Senate's civics education bill (S 2306).
The Senate's bill defines student-led civics projects as individual, small group or class-wide "student-centered exploration(s) of the connections between federal, state and local policies and an issue that impacts the student's community."
All public schools would be required by the Senate's bill to provide instruction in American history and civics.
The course or courses would be required to include in the curriculum "American history; local history; the function and composition of the branches of local, state and federal government; the constitution of the United States, the bill of rights, the declaration of independence and the constitution of the commonwealth; the electoral process; the roles and responsibilities of a citizen in a democracy; the development of media literacy skills to access, analyze and evaluate media as it relates to history and civic education; community diversity and the role it plays in the democratic process; knowledge of the ways in which civic participation has been restricted throughout history; and opportunities to identify and debate issues relative to power, economic status and the common good in democracy."
Legislative leaders this year named civics education legislation as a priority, alluding to but never explicitly naming President Donald Trump or his divisive tendencies when asked what ignited the recent interest in civics education.
"I think probably the last year in terms of what's going on in the country, in particular, has convinced me about the need for further civic education and through that hopefully more civic involvement nationwide and obviously in our state's politics as well," House Speaker Robert DeLeo said in January.
Senate President Harriette Chandler, Education Committee co-chairs Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz and Rep. Alice Peisch, and members of the Legislature's Civics-Education Working Group plan to discuss the bill, which the Senate described as "consensus House-Senate legislation," at a press conference at 3 p.m. Tuesday. The Senate Ways and Means Committee has offered up a re-draft (S 2355) of the bill.
The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and Board of Higher Education voted in 2016 to revise their definitions of college and career readiness to include a section on "civic readiness," calling for "a deep understanding and knowledge of U.S. history and its foundational documents, along with the knowledge, intellectual skills, and applied competencies that citizens need for informed and effective participation in civic and democratic life."
The Senate's session on Thursday will also include debate on two issues the branch has dealt with previously -- unsolicited loans and towing reform.
The Senate queued up a bill (S 143) for debate Thursday that would prohibit a person or business from issuing an unsolicited loan and institute a $5,000 fine for any violation. The Senate unanimously passed a substantially similar bill in 2016, when sponsor Sen. Kathleen O'Connor Ives said unsolicited loans often take the appearance of a check, appear in the mail and, if cashed, can trigger a loan with interest rates approaching 30 percent.
Another issue addressed by the Senate but not the House in 2016 will also be back up for consideration on Thursday. The Senate is preparing to debate a bill (S 1342) that would require tow companies to obtain a certificate from the Department of Public Utilities, meet certain public safety requirements and show proof of insurance. The Senate approved similar bills by voice votes in 2013 and 2016.
Senators have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to file amendments to the bills dealing with unsolicited loans and towing reform, and have until noon Wednesday to file amendments to the civics education bill.