RESOLUTION OPPOSING HOUSE BILLS 1218 and 1231 WHEREAS, the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce is a business-driven leadership organization responsible for fostering economic growth and ensuring quality of life for every citizen; ‘AND WHEREAS, the Chamber's goal is provide an inclusive, thriving and vibrant region that is meaningful to each business and resident; ‘AND WHEREAS, part of creating an inclusive community is recognizing and resisting any effort to repeat our state and local history of racial and ethnic discrimination; AND WHEREAS, fully funding public education is central to ensuring our region’s economic growth; ‘AND WHEREAS, House Bill 1218 under consideration in the Arkansas Legislature would cut funding from Public schools and universities that allow courses that promote social justice based on race, among, other characteristics; AND WHEREAS, House Bill 1231 would prohibit the “1619 Project” from being taught in public schools, ‘thereby restricting local control of school curriculum around the issue of slavery and racial oppression; ‘AND WHEREAS, failing to teach our local, state and national history will not change it but will instead leave our students at a disadvantage; BEIT RESOLVED that the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce finds that: 41. Passage of House Bills 1218 and 1231 would harm our effort to create an inclusive, thriving and vibrant community. 2. Passage of this legislation would hinder recruitment of companies to our region and create a competitive disadvantage. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chamber urges our legislative delegation, and lawmakers from throughout the state, to reject these unnecessary proposals.Beer aueony SYR ReeBEEEe RRSSGeee peewee SGSSRESBSSENRRESRESSRURGEGES Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added te present law, State of Arkansas As Engrossed: | er" ‘93rd General Assembly Bi Regular Session, 2021 HOUSE BILL 1231 By: Representatives Lowery, Bentley, Ladyman, Lundstrum, Richmond, Rye By: Senators G. Stubblefield, M. Johnson, T. Garner, Rapert For An Act To Be Entitled AN ACT CREATING THE SAVING AMERICAN HISTORY ACT OF 20215 10 PROHIBIT THE USR OF PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDS TO TEACH THE 1619 PROJECT CURRICULUM; TO REDUCE FUNDS DISTRIBUTED TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT TEACH THE 1619 PROJECT CURRICULUM; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. Subtitle ‘TO PROBIBIT THE USE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDS TO TRACH THE 1619 PROJECT CURRICULUM; AND TO REDUCE FUNDS DISTRIBUTED TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT TEACH ‘THE 1619 PROJECT CURRICULUM. ‘BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 16, Subchapter 1, is amended to add an additional section to read as follows: §-16-152. 1619 Project curriculum — Funding prohibited. {a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Saving American Eistory Act of 2021", b) The General Assembly finds the 1) The true date of founding of the United States of America is July 4, 1776, the day the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress: (2) The self-evident truths set forth in the Declaration of Independence are the fundamental principles upon which the United States of Mh 01-27-2021 10:06:20 TNLO46Seen auruene BSSOURSSESEESRoeERES 29 32 33 34 35 As Engrossed: H1/27/21 #B1231 ica. rr An activist movement is now gainis to deny or obfuscate this history by claiming that the United States of America was not founded on the i of the Declaration ther on wer oppression; ‘This distortion of the history of the United st. rica is being ti to students iblic_school classrooms via the New zu] dea e nal" Nout of slavery"; tis a racially divisive and revieioni: account of histor t_ threatens Antegrity of the Un! de he e iples on which it we and (6) The State has Yong interest in promoting an accurate a it of the history of ¢) ted Sts de fo: le into jledgeable and patr: bigs } used in this section, "public school" means: 1) aw ic school, A public school district; open-enro’ 1 ter sand 4) A state-s ted two-year or four-t Liege or university. (d)_ State received by a de ols) be used by 6 iblic scl tor it ch the 16! 0 curds in lic 1 te re of the 1 curris in Lic 0. A public 01 that 8 161 ject_curriculum 2 o Have its state fund: ¢_in an amount equal to the Sost associated with teaching the 1619 Project curriculum, ch_shall. witl limitat: lanning and teaching t: B) te funding for the following shall not Iuced bas lie si teac! the 1619 Project curriculum: Programs for low-income public school students; and i) Programs ft wit ilities; and Not_recedy sudent it Fundds 6 6~ 2 01-27-2021 10:06:20 TNLO46Beer auenunn RGSSSESVSSRERERESSeseaeeees As Engrossed: 1/27/21 B1231 1=2305(b) (4) for purposes of professional devel £ The Ds n_of Elementary end Seconda) 3 vite of sr Bducation sf romulgate rules necessary to implement section. 2) adopting the initial rules it this sects final rules shall be filed with the Secretary of State for adoption unde: =15-204(f) + (a) or before Janus: 2022: or If 2 § 10-3-. not_occurred January 1, 2022, ss soon as practicable after approval under § 10-3-309. Division of Elemente: 3 Division of Higher Kducation shall file ¢1 ve Counc’ 1. 10-3-309(c) suf fie: 2022, s0 #1 lative Couns ma before January 1, 2022. /s/lowery yd Secondary Education. 08 with the in advance of J L ler Ul for _approv: 01-27-2021 10:06:20 THLO46Seovraunene SESBS¥SSESSOR Esse see ee ee eee SGSSSESERBSERSSOSNSSESRGEESE Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined languoge would be added te present law. State of Arkansas Ae Engrossed: , H1/27/21 98rd General Assembly A Bi ‘Regular Session, 2021 HOUSE BILL 1218 By: Representatives Lowery, Bentley, Ladyman, Lundstrum, Richmond, Rye By; Senators G. Stubblefield, M. Johnson, 7. Garner, Rapert For An Act To Be Entitled AN ACT CONCERNING COURSES, CLASSES, EVENTS, AND ACTIVITIES WITHIN PROGRAMS OF INSTRUCTION AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS; TO PROHIBIT THE OFFERING OF CERTAIN TYPES OF COURSES, CLASSES, EVENTS, AND ACTIVITIES THAT ISOLATE STUDENTS BASED ON RACE, GENDER, POLITICAL AFFILIATION, SOCTAL CLASS, OR OTHER DISTINCTIONS WITHIN PROGRAMS OF INSTRUCTION; TO ADJUST FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT OFFER CERTAIN TYPES OF COURSES, CLASSES, EVENTS, AND ACTIVITIES TAT ISOLATE STUDENTS BASED ON RACE, GENDER, POLITICAL AFFILIATION, SOCIAL CLASS, OR OTHER DISTINCTIONS WITHIN PROGRAMS OF INSTRUCTION; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. Subtide ‘70 PROHIBIT OFFERING COURSES, EVENTS, AND ACTIVITIES THAT ISOLATE STODENTS 24S5D ON (CHARACTERISTICS WITHIN PROGRAMS OF INSTRUCTION; AND TO ADJUST FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS THAT OFFER THESE PROHIBITED COURSES, EVENTS, AND ACTIVITIES. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 16, Subchapter 1, is anended -2021 10:06:18 TNL102 ADIGACOVA RE DH ERee ee Bete e ere ee SSESRESSESRURERESSESKGEERES As Engrossed: 1/27/21 31218 din this see “public school" include, 1) A Public school district 2)_An_open-enr ublic charter re 3) A .- suppor! veer or four. institution of higher education. A public school shall not alloy a course, class, It, activity in 4. of instruction that Promotes the overthrow of the United States Governnent 2) 8 division bet ytment of, or social justice A) Races CB der: Political affilint: 1 class; or (8) Particular class of people: As the isolation of a group of students based on a particular characteristic instead of the treatment of students ag individuals, which may include without limitation isolating a group of students based on the fol. Z (A) Bthnied: 4B) Races (©) Religion; D) _ Gender: social clay Violates stare deral ctv: ts = (5) Negatively target: ific nationalities or countries. 401) If the State Board of Education determines chat a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school has violated subsection (b) this section, the state board shall notify ic school district or = ublic charter e fits violat: 2)(A) If a publie school district or open-enrollment pub: gharter school fetle to [th eubsection (b) of thie section within ty (60) days of notificars: its failure to comply under subdivision 1) of this section, the state board lixect the Divi: f Elenentas and dary Education to wit! a te ‘cent (102) of tl monthly distrsbut: atate foundation funding aid to ie school 2 01-27-2021 10:06:18 TNLLO2Seer aunane SSSRSRESSENSREEEEE 2s See Ae Engrossed: 1/27/21 HB12I8 istrict or open-entollment public charter echool as provided under § 6-20- 2305 (a) (1) (8). By 1e the state board determin Lic sch district or open-enrollment public charter school has complied with subsection (b) of this section, the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall restore the monthly distribution of state foundation funding id_to the public school district or open-enrollment public charter to ite o: fore the reduction was made under subdivision (c)(2) (A\ section. (4)(1) Tf the at Genexel determines that a state-supported two- Yeor_ox four-year tmetitution of higher education has violated subsection (b ofthis section, the Attorney General shall notify the state-supported two- DA ion, At vral_ hall. e uy = year or four-year institution of higher education of its violation. 2) If 9 state-supported tyo- yr four-year instituted: education fails to subsection f section within sixty (60) days of notification of its failure to comply under subdivision (o)(1) of this section, the atto ne ect the Division sher Education to withhold a ten percent of Sdeeribution of state funding to the state-supported two-year or four-year A of a ton, {B)_Once the Attorney General determines that a state- supported two-year of four-year institution of higher education has complied with subsection (b) of this section, Ate al_shall restore the distribution of state funding for the state-eupported two-year or four-year stitution oj jer education to ite or! amount before the reduction ert sx subdivision (4)(2)(A) of lon. A determination x action teken under subsection subsection (d) of this section 1s subject to judicial review under the as strative Procedure 23-15-201 et se f) This section does rohibit: 1)_A course, class, event, or activity for Native American studente that is required to be offered for Lie 8 or open gnrolinent public charter school to comply with federal lay; i of students ao to academic perfor re ‘iefency in ie] that ult in aati act on students of » partic ethnicity 3 01-27-2021 10:y u FS eer an eune 43a 14 15 16 7 18 19 a 22 23 24 25 27 29 BL 32 34 35 36 ‘As Engrossed: H1/27/21 1218 A course, class, event, or activity 2 Incl: wate history of an et! rou all students, unless the course, class event, or activi: 8. tion (b) of this section ©) s_the discussion of controversial aspects of history; or (0) Includes instruction on: (4) The Holocaust; 44) Angtance of ides 11) ‘the historical oppression of a particula of people based on: fa) Ethnicity: (b)_ Race; or (c) Class; or iv) Afrtean-, san history, as red $=16-121; of 4, cary parts by a public school etudenr in 9 14e school orpante: or public event that ie not of s ra of ts ic school /s{Lowery 01-27-2021 10:06:18 TRL102