71st OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2001 Regular Session
 
NOTE:  Matter within  { +  braces and plus signs + } in an
amended section is new. Matter within  { -  braces and minus
signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within
 { +  braces and plus signs + } .
 
LC 88
 
                         House Bill 2086
 
Ordered printed by the Speaker pursuant to House Rule 12.00A (5).
  Presession filed (at the request of Representative Betsy Close)
 
 
                             SUMMARY
 
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the
measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to
consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's
brief statement of the essential features of the measure as
introduced.
 
  Directs school district, if question approved by people of
school district, to include in history curriculum teaching of Ten
Commandments and to post copy of Ten Commandments in each school
of district. Provides procedure for question to be considered by
people at election.
 
                        A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to education.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
  SECTION 1.  { + (1) A school district shall display a copy of
the Ten Commandments as provided in section 2 of this 2001 Act
and include instruction on the historical impact of the Ten
Commandments in the history curriculum of the district as
provided in section 3 of this 2001 Act if:
  (a) A petition containing the signatures of the required number
of electors registered in the district is filed with the
elections officer as described in this section; and
  (b) The question contained in the petition is approved by the
electors of the district at an election as described in this
section.
  (2) One or more electors registered in a school district may
submit a prospective petition to the elections officer of the
district. The prospective petition shall contain the following
question: 'Shall a copy of the Ten Commandments be displayed in
each school in the ______ (name of school district) school
district and shall the district history curriculum include
instruction on the historical impact of the Ten Commandments? '
  (3) Notwithstanding ORS 255.115 and 255.125 and except as
otherwise provided in this section, ORS 255.135 to 255.205 apply
to any petition described in this section. For purposes of ORS
255.135 to 255.205, a petition described in this section shall be
considered an initiative petition.
  (4) ORS 255.140 does not apply to a petition described in this
section.
  (5) Notwithstanding ORS 250.035 and 254.145, the ballot title
question for the petition shall be the question contained in
subsection (2) of this section.
  (6) Notwithstanding ORS 255.165, the petition must be signed by
a number of electors registered in the school district that is
not less than 25 percent of the total number of votes cast in the
district for all candidates for Governor at the most recent
election at which a candidate for Governor was elected to a full
term. + }
  SECTION 2.  { + (1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of
this section, if a petition described in section 1 of this 2001
Act is approved by the electors of a school district, beginning
in the school year following the approval of the petition, the
school district board shall display a copy of the Ten
Commandments in each public school in the school district. The
school district board shall determine the appropriate form and
manner for display of a copy of the Ten Commandments.
  (2) Subsection (1) of this section applies only if sufficient
funds are available under this subsection. Copies of the Ten
Commandments required to be displayed under subsection (1) of
this section shall be purchased with funds made available through
voluntary contributions to the school district for the purposes
of this section. + }
  SECTION 3.  { + If a petition described in section 1 of this
2001 Act is approved by the electors of a school district,
beginning in the school year following the approval of the
petition, the school district board shall include instruction on
the historical impact of the Ten Commandments in the history
curriculum of the district.  The school district board shall
determine the particular content of the curriculum to be adopted
for each grade level. + }
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