BILL REQ. #:  H-0551.1 

Read first time 02/03/2003.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to censorship by school districts; and adding a new section to chapter 28A.230 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 28A.230 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) School district boards of directors shall not censor any documents, writings, speeches, or records specified in subsection (2) of this section relating to the founding of the United States or the state of Washington because of religious references in these documents, writings, speeches, or records. School district boards of directors shall allow any teacher or administrator in any public school to read or post in a public school building or classroom, or at a public school event, any excerpts or portions of documents, writings, speeches, or records specified in subsection (2) of this section relating to the founding of the United States and the state of Washington.
     (2) Documents, writings, speeches, or records relating to the founding of the United States or the state of Washington means: The Washington Enabling Act; the Washington Constitution; Washington Supreme Court decisions; the Mayflower Compact; the Declaration of Independence; the Articles of Confederation; the United States Constitution; the Federalist Papers; United States Supreme Court decisions; and the documents, writings, and speeches of the founding fathers of the United States.
     (3) For the purposes of this section, "founding fathers" means the signators to the Declaration of Independence, the authorized delegates to the Constitutional Convention, the members of the first United States Congress, the members of the first Supreme Court, and the first President of the United States.