53G-10-302. Instruction in American history and government -- Study and posting of American heritage documents.

1,481 words·~7 min read·/ut/title-53g/chapter-10/53g-10-302

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

Effective 7/1/2026

(1)As used in this section:

(a)"American experiment in self-governance and United States founding principles" means the unique characteristics and achievements of the United States, including:

(i)the nation's founding principles of individual liberty, limited government, and natural rights;

(ii)the enduring strength and adaptability of the United States Constitution;

(iii)the protection of individual freedoms and religious liberty;

(iv)supporting and preserving the family;

(v)economic prosperity through free market capitalism and entrepreneurship;

(vi)the promotion of human rights and representative self-government globally; and

(vii)the contributions of American innovation, culture, and civil society to human progress and flourishing.

(b)"Communism" means a system of government, governance, or political theory that has historically resulted in widespread human rights abuses, economic failure, and totalitarian oppression, characterized by:

(i)collective or state ownership of property and the means of production;

(ii)centralized economic planning;

(iii)single-party authoritarian rule;

(iv)practices that are destructive to the family structure and function; or

(v)suppression of individual rights and liberties in favor of collective goals.

(c)"Ten Commandments" means the Decalogue, known as the Ten Commandments, as recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures in Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21.

(2)The Legislature recognizes that a proper understanding of American history and government is essential to good citizenship, and that the public schools are the primary public institutions charged with responsibility for assisting children and youth in gaining that understanding.

(a)In accordance with Section 53G-10-204 , the state board and local school boards shall periodically review school curricula and activities to ensure that effective instruction in American history and government is taking place in the public schools.

(b)The boards shall solicit public input as part of the review process.

(c)The state board shall ensure instruction in American history and government for students occurs as appropriate and includes a study of:

(i)forms of government, such as a republic, a pure democracy, a monarchy, and an oligarchy;

(ii)political philosophies and economic systems, such as socialism, communism, individualism, and free market capitalism;

(iii)the United States' form of government, a compound constitutional republic;

(iv)the roles and responsibilities of government officials, including all state and locally elected officials;

(v)the voting process and election laws of this state, including the caucus and convention system;

(vi)the purpose and benefits of the Electoral College system in presidential elections, including:

(A)how the system protects state sovereignty;

(B)ensures broad geographic representation; and

(C)maintains the federal nature of the republic;

(vii)the eligibility requirements to run for elected office at the federal, state, and local levels; and

(viii)the elected officials who represent students at each level of government.

(d)Beginning in the 2028-2029 school year, the state board shall ensure that social studies core standards for students in secondary grades include comparative instruction on government systems, including communism, with the state board determining the specific grades and frequency of instruction within secondary grades, that:

(i)compare and contrast the government systems described in Subsection (3)(c) with communism and other autocratic government systems, such as:

(A)fascist governments, including World War II-era regimes; and

(B)ancient autocracies, including absolute monarchies;

(ii)include instruction on the American experiment in self-governance and United States founding principles, including why the Founders rejected pure democracy, including ancient Greek examples;

(iii)include instruction on the fundamental characteristics of communism, including state control of information and media;

(iv)include instruction on the history and tactics of communist movements in the United States, including:

(A)the spread of communist ideology during the 20th century;

(B)efforts to infiltrate American institutions; and

(C)the response of the United States government and civil society to communist movements;

(v)include instruction on historical crimes, human rights violations, and economic failures caused by communist regimes, including:

(A)the Cultural Revolution in China;

(B)the Holodomor in Ukraine;

(C)the Great Terror in the Soviet Union;

(D)the Cambodian genocide under the Khmer Rouge;

(E)the human rights violations and economic failures of the Cuban communist regime;

(F)the violence and destabilization caused by communist guerrilla movements in Latin America; and

(G)the systematic persecution of religious groups and suppression of religious practice under communist regimes; and

(vi)include comparative outcomes demonstrating the benefits of constitutional republicanism through comparison with communist, pure democratic, and other autocratic systems, including:

(A)economic prosperity and innovation;

(B)protection of human rights and individual freedoms;

(C)political stability and peaceful transfer of power;

(D)quality of life and opportunity for citizens; and

(E)contributions to global peace and prosperity.

(e)Beginning in the 2028-2029 school year, and in accordance with Subsection

(8), the state board shall ensure instruction in American history and government for students occurs as appropriate and includes a study of the historical and philosophical context in which the founding documents were created, with the state board determining the specific grades and frequency of instruction within grades 3 through 12, including:

(i)analysis of religious and philosophical references contained in founding documents, including:

(A)the reference in the Declaration of Independence to "Nature's God," "Creator," "Supreme Judge of the world," and "divine Providence";

(B)religious and philosophical influences on concepts of natural rights and limited government as reflected in primary source documents from the founding era;

(C)the debates over religious liberty and the relationship between religion and government as reflected in founding era documents, including writings on the First Amendment;

(D)specific passages from the text described in Subsection (4)(m) that are cited or alluded to in founding documents;

(E)narratives and concepts from the text described in Subsection (4)(m) that shaped colonial American political thought;

(F)the use of language and imagery from the text described in Subsection (4)(m) in political rhetoric of the founding era and throughout American history; and

(G)influences of the text described in Subsection (4)(m) on concepts of covenant, law, justice, and liberty in American constitutional thought;

(ii)comparative analysis of the philosophical traditions described in Subsection 53E-4-205.2(2)(a) , and additional philosophical traditions, including Enlightenment philosophy, Protestant and Catholic thought, deism, and natural law theory; and

(iii)the development of American principles of religious liberty, including:

(A)the First Amendment's protections for religious exercise and prohibitions on religious establishment; and

(B)state constitutional provisions on religious liberty.

(4)School curricula and activities shall include a thorough study of historical documents described in Subsection 53E-4-205.2(3) , and beginning in the 2028-2029 school year, may include the following additional historical documents and principles:

(a)the national motto;

(b)the pledge of allegiance;

(c)the national anthem;

(d)the entirety of George Washington's Farewell Address;

(e)Frederick Douglass's speeches, including:

(i)"What to the Slave is the Fourth of July," delivered July 5, 1852; and

(ii)"What the Black Man Wants," delivered January 26, 1865;

(f)selected passages from the Anti-Federalist Papers and the Federalist Papers, including Federalist Papers No. 10 and No. 51;

(g)United States Supreme Court decisions;

(h)the Ten Commandments;

(i)the Magna Carta;

(j)Acts of the United States Congress, including the published text of the Congressional Record;

(k)United States treaties;

(l)excerpts from Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America;

(m)the Bible, including the Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament, as literary and historical texts that have influenced American constitutional history, civic thought, and cultural development; and

(n)when teaching Utah history, an LEA may include study of religious beliefs and texts that influenced the state's early founders and the state's history.

(5)To increase student understanding of, and familiarity with, American historical documents, public schools may display historically important excerpts from, or copies of, those documents in school classrooms and common areas as appropriate.

(6)There shall be no content-based censorship of American history and heritage documents referred to in this section due to their religious or cultural nature.

(7)Public schools shall display "In God we trust," which is declared in 36 U.S.C. Sec. 302 to be the national motto of the United States, in one or more prominent places within each school building.

(8)An LEA shall ensure instruction provided under Subsections (4)(m) , (4)(n), and (3)(e):

(a)focuses on religious texts' literary forms, historical context, and documented influence on American civic thought and the state's founding history rather than on theological or doctrinal questions;

(b)may use multiple translations of religious texts for comparative literary and historical analysis; and

(c)acknowledges diverse interpretations of religious texts and their application to political thought and founding history.

(9)The state board shall ensure that each review and revision of social studies core standards includes the requirements of this section.

(10)Nothing in this section prohibits an LEA from exceeding the minimum standards established by the state board under this section.

Amended by Chapter 413 , 2026 General Session