An act TO REQUIRE CERTAIN INFORMATION BE EMBEDDED 11 INTO EXISTING SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS, the official text

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.

1 State of Arkansas      As Engrossed: H3/11/25 H3/17/25
2 95th General Assembly
                                  A Bill

3 Regular Session, 2025                                            HOUSE BILL 1705

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5 By: Representatives Duke, R. Scott Richardson, Bentley, Breaux, A. Brown, K. Brown, Joey Carr,

6 Cozart, Long, McGrew, S. Meeks, Rye, Vaught

7 By: Senators J. Bryant, J. Dotson

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9                                    For An Act To Be Entitled

10  AN ACT TO REQUIRE CERTAIN INFORMATION BE EMBEDDED

11  INTO EXISTING SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS; TO REQUIRE

12  INFORMATION CONCERNING HOW THE RELIGIOUS AND MORAL

13  BELIEFS OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS INFLUENCED THE

14  FOUNDING OF THE UNITED STATES TO BE EMBEDDED INTO

15  EXISTING SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS; AND FOR OTHER

16  PURPOSES.

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19                                             Subtitle

20                       TO REQUIRE INFORMATION CONCERNING HOW

21                       THE RELIGIOUS AND MORAL BELIEFS OF THE

22                       FOUNDING FATHERS INFLUENCED THE FOUNDING

23                       OF THE UNITED STATES TO BE EMBEDDED INTO

24                       EXISTING SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS.

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26 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

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28  SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 16, Subchapter 1, is amended

29 to add an additional section to read as follows:

30  6-16-163. Social studies standards -- Beliefs of Founding Fathers.

31  (a) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, the State Board of

32 Education shall embed into existing social studies standards and courses for

33 grades six through twelve (6-12) information that addresses the founding of

34 the United States, including the founding fathers and their religious and

35 moral beliefs and how their religious and moral beliefs influenced the

36 founding documents of the United States.

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    As Engrossed: H3/11/25 H3/17/25                                         HB1705

1   (b) The information required under subsection (a) of this section

2 shall emphasize the following without limitation:

3           (1) The Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, including

4 the meaning behind and purpose of the quote, "We hold these truths to be

5 self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their

6 Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty

7 and the pursuit of Happiness";

8           (2) The core political beliefs of the founding fathers,

9 including without limitation:

10                    (A) Ordered liberty;

11                    (B) Equality;

12                    (C) Natural rights, including without limitation defense

13 of self, community, and nation;

14                    (D) Freedom of speech and press; and

15                    (E) The free exercise of religion;

16          (3) How the religious and moral beliefs of the founding fathers

17 influenced the founding of the United States and documents and concepts

18 relevant to the founding fathers' religious and moral beliefs, including

19 without limitation:

20                    (A) The identity of the "Creator" as viewed by the

21 founding fathers;

22                    (B) The nature of mankind, or "human nature", as viewed by

23 the founding fathers;

24                    (C) The constitutional requirement for a republican form

25 of government, including the separation of powers and federalism, and the

26 fatal tendency of democracy;

27                    (D) The religious and moral beliefs held by the founding

28 fathers, whereby there is a Creator, and that man is endowed by that Creator

29 with inalienable rights;

30                    (E) The definitions of "religion" held by the founding

31 fathers, particularly as found in Section 16 of the Virginia Declaration of

32 Rights;

33                    (F) Why there was a demand for a Bill of Rights as a

34 condition for the adoption of the United States Constitution;

35                    (G) To what extent the founding fathers recognized

36 historical events and texts, such as the Ten Commandments, the Mosaic Law,

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    As Engrossed: H3/11/25 H3/17/25                              HB1705

1 the New Testament, and the experiences of the ancient Hebrews, Greeks, and

2 Romans, and these teachings as a basis for American law and public policy;

3   (H) To what extent the founding fathers recognized the

4 English Common Law, the Magna Carta, and the English Bill of Rights as a

5 basis for American law and public policy; and

6   (I) How the recognition of inalienable rights in the

7 Declaration of Independence formed the framework for the abolition of slavery

8 in the United States; and

9   (4) How the freedoms enjoyed by the citizens of the United

10 States can be traced to the beliefs of the founding fathers.

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12                                   /s/Duke

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