2001 Montana Legislature

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HOUSE BILL NO. 588

INTRODUCED BY J. BALYEAT



A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT REQUIRING OBJECTIVITY IN SCIENCE EDUCATION; DIRECTING THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION TO REPEAL ADMINISTRATIVE RULES THAT DIRECT THE EXCLUSIVE TEACHING OF THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION IN MONTANA'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS; DIRECTING THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION TO ADOPT SCIENCE STANDARDS THAT DIRECT ALL PUBLIC SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERS TO INFORM THEIR STUDENTS THAT VALID COMPETING THEORIES OF ORIGIN EXIST; DIRECTING THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION TO REQUIRE ALL TEACHERS TO OFFER A REASONABLY BALANCED PRESENTATION THAT PROVIDES A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE SUPPORTING AND DISPROVING EACH MAJOR THEORY OF ORIGIN; DIRECTING THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION TO REQUIRE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN EACH DISTRICT TO MAKE AVAILABLE TO ALL STUDENTS THROUGH CLASSROOM AND LIBRARY MATERIALS, INCLUDING BOOKS, BIBLIOGRAPHIES, AND VIDEOS, A FULL RANGE OF FACTUAL INFORMATION SUPPORTING THE COMPETING THEORIES OF ORIGIN; REQUIRING THE LEGISLATURE TO APPOINT A VOLUNTEER CITIZENS PANEL TO RESEARCH AND DEVELOP AN EXTENSIVE LIST OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS THAT ARE CONSIDERED ACADEMICALLY SOUND AND REPRESENTATIVE OF A WIDE RANGE OF SCIENTIFIC OPINION AND COMPETING THEORIES OF ORIGIN; DIRECTING DISSEMINATION OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL LIST BY THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE."



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:



     NEW SECTION.  Section 1.  Directive to board of public education -- volunteer citizens panel -- distribution of approved list. (1) The board of public education shall:

     (a) repeal administrative rules adopted by the board that direct the exclusive teaching of the theory of evolution in Montana's public schools;

     (b) adopt science standards that require all public school science teachers to inform their students in the normal course of study that issues related to the theory of origin are matters of scientific conjecture and speculation, rather than observable fact, and that valid competing theories exist over which the public school system will not assume a position of prejudice or advocacy;

     (c) require all teachers to offer a reasonably balanced presentation that provides a significant amount of scientific evidence supporting and disproving each major theory of origin while encouraging rather than suppressing open questioning and discussion; and

     (d) require public schools in each district to make available to all students through classroom and library materials, including books, bibliographies, and videos, a full range of factual information supporting the competing theories of origin.

     (2) The legislature shall appoint a six-member volunteer citizens panel every 2 years to research and develop an extensive list of instructional materials that are considered academically sound and representative of a wide range of scientific opinion and that comply with the intent of this section.

     (3) Of the six members, the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate shall, by August 1, each appoint three members to 2-year terms by randomly drawing the members' names from the names of applicants submitted to the superintendent of public instruction on application forms prescribed by the office of public instruction. The random drawing procedure must ensure that no more than three of the appointed members are current or former employees of the public school system and that the panel is equally represented by supporters and nonsupporters of Darwin's theory of evolution. If a vacancy occurs, the appointing authority shall make an appointment for the unexpired portion of the term by the random drawing procedure and shall maintain the membership requirements of this section.

     (4) The list required to be prepared by the citizens panel under subsection (2) must:

     (a) include recommendations for grade level appropriateness;

     (b) be distributed to all school districts annually prior to the beginning of the school year; and

     (c) be available through the office of public instruction's website.

     (5) The citizens panel is attached to the office of public instruction for administrative purposes. The panel:

     (a) must be advisory in nature;

     (b) may not expend public funds; and

     (c) shall serve without compensation, including travel expenses and associated expenses.



     NEW SECTION.  Section 2.  Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 20, chapter 2, part 1, and the provisions of Title 20, chapter 2, part 1, apply to [section 1].



     NEW SECTION.  Section 3.  Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.

- END -




Latest Version of HB 588 (HB0588.01)
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