LB359 LB359
2021 2021
LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH LEGISLATURE
FIRST SESSION
LEGISLATIVE BILL 359
Introduced by Pansing Brooks, 28; Hunt, 8; McKinney, 11; Morfeld, 46.
Read first time January 13, 2021
Committee: Education
1 A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to schools; to amend sections 79-719, 79-720,
2 79-721, 79-722, and 79-723, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska; to
3 change provisions regarding multicultural education as prescribed;
4 to provide powers for the State Board of Education; to harmonize
5 provisions; and to repeal the original sections.
6 Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska,
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1 Section 1. Section 79-719, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, is
2 amended to read:
3 79-719 For purposes of sections 79-719 to 79-723, multicultural
4 education includes and reflects the diverse races and cultures of all
5 persons in Nebraska and the United States of America and incorporates the
6 histories, perspectives , but is not limited to, studies relative to the
7 culture, history, and contributions of African Americans, Hispanic
8 Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans. Special emphasis shall
9 be placed on human relations and sensitivity toward all races,
10 ethnicities, and cultures.
11 Sec. 2. Section 79-720, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, is
12 amended to read:
13 79-720 (1) Each school district, in consultation with the
14 Commissioner State Department of Education, incorporate multicultural
15 education into the elementary, middle, and secondary instructional
16 programs provided to students. Beginning with school year 2022-23, all
17 private, denominational, and parochial schools approved or accredited by
18 the department shall incorporate multicultural education into elementary,
19 middle, and secondary instructional programs provided to students shall
20 develop for incorporation into all phases of the curriculum of grades
21 kindergarten through twelve a multicultural education program.
22 (2) The department shall (a) employ a full-time consultant trained
23 and experienced in the field of multicultural education and (b) create
24 and distribute recommended multicultural education curriculum guidelines
25 to all schools school districts. Each district shall create its own
26 multicultural education program based on such recommended guidelines.
27 (3) The incorporation of the multicultural education program into
28 the elementary, middle, and secondary instructional programs of each
29 school curriculum of each district shall not change (a) the number of
30 instructional hours prescribed for elementary and high school students
31 under section 79-211 or (b) the number of instructional hours dedicated
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1 to the existing curriculum of each district.
2 Sec. 3. Section 79-721, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, is
3 amended to read:
4 79-721 (1) Each school district and each private, denominational,
5 and parochial school approved or accredited by the department shall
6 present evidence, as annually, in a form prescribed by the Commissioner
7 State Department of Education, to the department that multicultural
8 education is included in the elementary, middle, and secondary
9 instructional programs provided being taught to students pursuant to
10 section 79-720. The department shall evaluate the effectiveness of the
11 multicultural education program and establish reasonable timelines for
12 the submission of such evidence.
13 (2) A school district or a private, denominational, or parochial
14 school approved or accredited by the department which fails to provide
15 the or fails to provide evidence required annually of multicultural
16 education pursuant to subsection (1) of this such section shall lose its
17 accreditation or approval status.
18 Sec. 4. Section 79-722, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, is
19 amended to read:
20 79-722 In conjunction with the multicultural education as program
21 prescribed in section 79-720, the Commissioner State Department of
22 Education shall design a process for evaluating such the implementation
23 and effectiveness of each multicultural education. Such process program,
24 including the collection of baseline data. The collection of baseline
25 data for evaluating the implementation and effectiveness of each
26 multicultural education program shall not include the testing,
27 assessment, or evaluation of individual students' attitudes or beliefs.
28 An evaluation of the implementation and effectiveness of each
29 multicultural education program shall be conducted every five school
30 years. On or before November 1, 2013, and on or before November 1 every
31 five years thereafter, the commissioner department shall report the
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1 results of each evaluation of multicultural education to the Clerk of the
2 Legislature, the Education Committee of the Legislature, and the State
3 Board of Education and publish such report on a web site established by
4 the department. The report submitted to the Clerk of the Legislature and
5 the committee shall be submitted electronically.
6 Sec. 5. Section 79-723, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, is
7 amended to read:
8 79-723 The State Board Department of Education may shall adopt and
9 promulgate rules and regulations to carry out sections 79-719 to 79-722.
10 Sec. 6. Original sections 79-719, 79-720, 79-721, 79-722, and
11 79-723, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, are repealed.
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 79-719, 79-720, 79-721, 79-722, 79-723