00                            SENATE BILL NO. 72                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to civics education, civics examinations, and secondary school                                         
02 graduation requirements; and providing for an effective date."                                                          
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1. AS 14.03 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                  
05            Sec. 14.03.076. Civics examination requirement. (a) A school may not issue                                 
06       a secondary school diploma to a student unless the student                                                        
07 (1)  receives a score of at least 60 percent on an examination consisting                                               
08 of, at a minimum, the 128 questions of the civics portion of the naturalization test used                               
09 by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services of the Department of                                          
10       Homeland Security under 8 U.S.C. 1446(b); or                                                                      
11                 (2)  is a student with a disability and receives a waiver from the                                      
12       governing body.                                                                                                   
13            (b)  If a student meets the examination requirement in (a)(1) of this section, a                             
14       school shall document on the student's transcript that the student has received a                                 

01       passing score on the examination.                                                                                 
02    * Sec. 2. AS 14.07.168 is amended to read:                                                                         
03 Sec. 14.07.168. Report to the legislature. Not later than the 30th legislative                                        
04 day of each regular session of the legislature, the board shall prepare and present in                                  
05 person to the legislative committees having jurisdiction over education an annual                                       
06 report that describes the efforts of the board to develop, maintain, and continuously                                   
07 improve a comprehensive quality public education system, as provided for under the                                      
08       bylaws of the board. The report must include                                                                      
09                 (1)  a summary of the resolves and rationales provided in support of                                    
10       policy decisions made under AS 14.03.015;                                                                         
11                 (2)  program and curriculum changes made, discussed, or                                                 
12       recommended in meetings held under AS 14.07.125;                                                                  
13                 (3)  additional information relevant to efforts made to improve and                                     
14       maintain the public education system;                                                                         
15                 (4)  a description of the civics education curriculum in the state                                  
16       public school system and the passage rate of the examination required by                                      
17       AS 14.03.076.                                                                                                 
18    * Sec. 3. This Act takes effect July 1, 2022.