Bill > HB1060

This bill requires the Arkansas Department of Education to review and update social studies standards for grades 7-12 by the 2026-2027 school year, with the specific goal of providing comprehensive instruction about the differences between the United States' constitutional republic and communist or autocratic government systems. The updated curriculum must include detailed examinations of constitutional limitations, the value of democratic elections, the relationship between citizens and government, historical records of oppression under communist and autocratic regimes, economic failures of such systems, and specific examples of government collapses in countries like Russia, China, North Korea, and Argentina. The bill defines "communism and autocratic government" as a system where absolute power is concentrated in a single person or party, with no meaningful external legal constraints or mechanisms for public control. The standards are designed to emphasize the strengths of the constitutional republic model and highlight the historical and ongoing failures of alternative governmental systems, ultimately aiming to educate students about the importance of democratic principles and the potential risks of concentrated governmental power.

Education

https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=hb1060&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R