Signed by Governor Tom Wolf

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with senate amendments and pass a bill that requires students to take a civics test at least once between grades 7 and 12.

Highlights:

• Requires that beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, each school must administer an assessment of U.S. history, government and civics (Sec. 1).

• Repeals the provision requiring a passing grade on the assessment in order to graduate high school (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes schools to determine when to administer the assessment, as long as it’s done at least once between 7th and 12th grades (Sec. 1).

• Exempts a student in an individualized or special-needs education program (Sec. 1).

• Establishes a certificate of recognition for students who receive a perfect score, which would be issued and publicly available from the state’s education department (Sec. 1).

• Requires the assessment to include the nature, purpose, principles and structure of U.S. constitutional democracy, U.S. government documents and operations, and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes local school districts to develop the assessment or use the 100-question civics assessment that is developed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and required for immigrants to become citizens (Sec. 1).

• Requires that within 1 year from the effective date of this bill, the USCIS must post on its public website links to the civics assessment and any related resources offered (Sec. 1).

• Requires the bill to become effective 60 days after enactment (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text