00 HOUSE BILL NO. 339                                                                                                      
01 "An Act relating to the use in public schools of historical documents without                                           
02 alteration or removal of religious or secular references when the references are                                        
03 a part of the text of the document; providing that the use of historical                                                
04 documents does not constitute the advocation of partisan, sectarian, or                                                 
05 denominational doctrine; and providing that public school teachers and                                                  
06 administrators may not be disciplined or otherwise acted against for using                                              
07 historical documents; requiring the Department of Education to distribute copies                                        
08 of the law; and providing for an effective date."                                                                       
09 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
10    * Section 1.  AS 14.03 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                   
11  Sec. 14.03.095.  DOCUMENTS RELATING TO AMERICAN HISTORY                                                               
12 PROTECTED.  (a)  A historical document of a state or the United States may be used                                      
13 by a public school teacher or administrator as a part of the curriculum of the public                                   
14 school at which the teacher or administrator is employed.  A historical document used                                   
01 as a part of the public school curriculum may be used in whole or in part, but may not                                  
02 be altered to remove religious or secular references when the religious or secular                                      
03 references are a part of the text of the historical document.                                                           
04  (b)  The use of a historical document by a teacher or administrator does not                                          
05 constitute the advocation of a partisan, sectarian, or denominational doctrine under                                    
06 AS 14.03.090.                                                                                                           
07  (c)  A public school teacher or administrator who uses a historical document                                          
08 may not be disciplined or otherwise acted against for using the document.                                               
09  (d)  In this section, "historical document" includes the Declaration of                                               
10 Independence, the Constitution of the United States or a state, constitutional or organic                               
11 documents of the American colonies, the Mayflower Compact, the pledge of allegiance                                     
12 to the United States, a state or national motto or anthem, a state or federal enactment,                                
13 the writings of a current or former president of the United States, the writings of a                                   
14 person who signed the Declaration of Independence, a state or federal court decision,                                   
15 and documents published by a state or the federal government.                                                           
16    * Sec. 2.  The Department of Education shall distribute copies of this Act to the school                             
17 board of a school district or regional educational attendance area and to each chief school                             
18 administrator.                                                                                                          
19    * Sec. 3.  This Act takes effect July 4, 1994.