A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to ensure instruction in civic responsibility, as recommended by the house select committee on school safety.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Article 8 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 115C‑46.  Civic responsibility.
(a)	The State Board of Education shall include instruction on civic responsibility in the standard course of study for both the elementary and middle school courses for North Carolina history and geography, and the high school course on the Founding Principles of the United States of America and the State of North Carolina.
(b)	The instruction of civic responsibility shall be focused on the following:
(1)	Respect for school personnel. – In the school environment, respect includes holding teachers, school administrators, and all school personnel in high esteem and demonstrating in words and deeds that all school personnel deserve to be treated with courtesy and proper deference.
(2)	Responsibility for school safety. – Helping to create a harmonious school atmosphere that is free from threats, weapons, and violent or disruptive behavior; cultivating an orderly learning environment in which students and school personnel feel safe and secure; and encouraging the resolution of conflicts and disagreements through peaceful means, including peer mediation. Instruction in this responsibility should include a consistent and age‑appropriate antiviolence message and a conflict resolution component for students in kindergarten through grade 12. These messages should include media‑awareness education to help children recognize stereotypes and messages portraying violence.
(3)	Service to others. – Engaging in meaningful service to their schools and their communities. Schools may teach service‑learning by (i) incorporating it into their standard curriculum or (ii) involving a classroom of students or some other group of students in one or more hands‑on community service projects. All schools are encouraged to provide opportunities for student involvement in community service or service‑learning projects.
(4)	Good citizenship. – Obeying the laws of the nation and this State, abiding by school rules, and understanding the rights and responsibilities of a member of a republic."
SECTION 2.(a)  G.S. 115C‑81.60(a) reads as rewritten:
"§ 115C‑81.60.  Character education.
	Each local board of education shall develop and implement character education instruction with input from the local community. The instruction shall be incorporated into the standard curriculum and should address the following traits:
…."
SECTION 2.(b)  G.S. 115C‑81.60(b) is repealed.
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with the 2020‑2021 school year.