HOUSE BILL NO. 6231
December 04, 2024, Introduced by Reps. Scott, O'Neal, Tyrone Carter, Grant, McFall, Arbit,
Hoskins, Brenda Carter, Whitsett, Young, Xiong, Wilson and MacDonell and referred to the
Committee on Education.
A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled
"The revised school code,"
(MCL 380.1 to 380.1852) by adding section 1164.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
1 Sec. 1164. (1) The commission to update African-American
2 history in K to 12 instruction is created as a temporary commission
3 described in section 4 of article V of the state constitution of
4 1963. The department shall provide staffing and support for the
5 commission.
6 (2) Not later than 90 days after the effective date of the
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1 amendatory act that added this section, the governor shall appoint
2 members to the commission in consultation with the department. The
3 commission must consist of the following members:
4 (a) One representative from the University of Michigan's
5 Department of Afroamerican and African Studies.
6 (b) One representative from Michigan State University's
7 Department of African American and African Studies.
8 (c) One representative from Wayne State University's
9 Department of African American Studies.
10 (d) One representative from the National Association for the
11 Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Michigan conference.
12 (e) One representative from the Charles H. Wright Museum of
13 African American History.
14 (f) One representative from the Jim Crow Museum at Ferris
15 State University.
16 (3) Not later than 120 days after the effective date of the
17 amendatory act that added this section, the superintendent of
18 public instruction shall call the first meeting of the commission.
19 At the first meeting, the commission shall elect from among its
20 members a chairperson and other officers as it considers necessary
21 or appropriate. After the first meeting, the commission shall meet
22 at times and places specified by the chairperson or a majority of
23 its members.
24 (4) A majority of the members of the commission constitute a
25 quorum for the transaction of business at a meeting of the
26 commission. A majority of the members present and serving are
27 required for official action of the commission.
28 (5) The business that the commission may perform must be
29 conducted at a public meeting of the commission held in compliance
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1 with the open meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 15.275.
2 (6) A writing prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or
3 retained by the commission in the performance of an official
4 function is subject to the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442,
5 MCL 15.231 to 15.246.
6 (7) Members of the commission shall serve without compensation
7 and must not be reimbursed for their expenses.
8 (8) Not later than 365 days after the first meeting of the
9 commission, the commission shall review the current recommended
10 model core academic curriculum content standards developed under
11 section 1278 and provide to the state board and the standing
12 committees of the legislature responsible for K to 12 education
13 legislation a recommendation on age- and grade-appropriate
14 instruction for all grade levels on African-American history. The
15 recommended instruction must include both of the following:
16 (a) The study of African-American history during
17 Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Era, and other eras relevant to
18 African-American history.
19 (b) The contributions African-Americans have made to the
20 development of the United States and other countries.
21 (9) After the commission provides to the state board the
22 recommended instruction under subsection (8), not later than 2
23 school years following the date on which the state board receives
24 the recommended instruction under subsection (8), the state board
25 shall update the recommended model core academic curriculum content
26 standards developed under section 1278 so the standards incorporate
27 the recommended instruction under subsection (8).
28 (10) After the commission provides to the state board the
29 recommended instruction under subsection (8), in addition to the
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1 requirements of section 1279g, beginning with assessments conducted
2 during the 2025-2026 school year, the superintendent of public
3 instruction shall ensure that the Michigan merit examination social
4 studies component and the M-STEP and any successor state assessment
5 for social studies, as appropriate, include questions related to
6 the learning objectives in the state board recommended model core
7 academic curriculum content standards concerning African-American
8 history.
9 (11) Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, the board of a
10 school district or board of directors of a public school academy
11 shall ensure that each school it operates provides instruction to
12 pupils at all grade levels operated by that school regarding
13 African-American history, as described in subsection (8).
14 (12) As used in this section, "commission" means the
15 commission to update African-American history in K to 12
16 instruction created in subsection (1).
17 Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days
18 after the date it is enacted into law.
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Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 380.1, 380.1852