PRINTER'S NO. 785
No. 670 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY EGOLF, ALLEN, ARMSTRONG, BAKER, BALDWIN, BARRAR,
BELARDI, BELFANTI, BUNT, CAPPELLI, COLEMAN, COSTA, CRAHALLA,
CREIGHTON, CRUZ, DALLY, FAIRCHILD, FORCIER, FRANKEL, GABIG,
GEIST, GILLESPIE, GOODMAN, HARHAI, HENNESSEY, HORSEY,
HUTCHINSON, KIRKLAND, KOTIK, LAUGHLIN, MAITLAND, MANN, MELIO,
S. MILLER, PALLONE, PETRARCA, PHILLIPS, PIPPY, ROHRER, ROSS,
RUBLEY, SATHER, SCHRODER, R. STEVENSON, E. Z. TAYLOR, VANCE,
WALKO, WATSON, WILT, WOJNAROSKI, WRIGHT, YEWCIC, YOUNGBLOOD
AND ZUG, MARCH 5, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 5, 2003
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," further providing for the subjects of
6 instruction and flag code.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Section 1511 of the act of March 10, 1949
10 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
11 amended July 31, 1968 (P.L.1020, No.301), is amended to read:
12 Section 1511. Subjects of Instruction; Flag Code.--In every
13 elementary public and private school, established and maintained
14 in this Commonwealth, the following subjects shall be taught, in
15 the English language and from English texts: English, including
16 spelling, reading and writing, arithmetic, geography, the
1 history of the United States and of Pennsylvania, civics,
2 including loyalty to the State and National Government, safety
3 education, and the humane treatment of birds and animals,
4 health, including physical education, and physiology, music and
5 art. Other subjects shall be taught in the public elementary
6 schools and also in the public high schools as may be prescribed
7 by the standards of the State Board of Education. All such
8 subjects, except foreign languages, shall be taught in the
9 English language and from English texts: Provided, however,
10 That, at the discretion of the Superintendent of Public
11 Instruction, the teaching of subjects in a language other than
12 English may be permitted as part of a sequence in foreign
13 language study or as part of a bilingual education program if
14 the teaching personnel are properly certified in the subject
15 fields. [Each] Every year on May 1, as designated by the act of
16 June 6, 1955 (P.L.146, No.44), entitled "An act providing for
17 the observance of May first of each year as American Loyalty
18 Day," or the following Monday should that date not fall on a
19 school day, each school district shall provide and distribute to
20 each pupil, enrolled in the eighth grade of the public schools,
21 one illustrated copy of the National Flag Code, and shall, from
22 time to time, make available such copies as are necessary for
23 replacements from year to year. Members of the General Assembly
24 shall provide illustrated copies of the National Flag Code upon
25 request of their local school districts to fulfill the
26 requirements of this section. The distribution of the
27 illustrated copy of the National Flag Code shall be conducted
28 through a class period of instruction in which Congressionally
29 chartered veterans service organizations shall be invited to
30 assist with discussions on the flag code and American Loyalty
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1 Day. It shall be the duty of each teacher in the public schools
2 to make such use of the code as may, from time to time, seem
3 proper.
4 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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