Signed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends and revises the instruction provided in Arkansas on the failure of communist and autocratic system and to reinforce in required instruction the resiliency of the constitutional republic system adopted by the United States of America.

Highlights:

• Requires that before the 2026-2027 school year, the Department of Education shall review and update current social studies standards for grades 7-12 in all public schools to include age-appropriate adjustments to ensure curricula, standards, materials, and units accurately compare and contrast the resiliency of the United States’s constitutional republic with the failures of communism and autocratic government system,s and other democratic government systems (Sec. 1).

• Requires that the changes include the following (Sec. 1):

• The adherence to constitutional limitation in the United States Government;

• The value of an educated citizenry and its ability to alter government direction via elections;

• The general subservience of constitutional republics to the citizens, while other forms of government require subservience to a single government institution or a single government leader;

• The record of mass murder and oppression committed as a  result of communism and autocratic governments;

• The economic structures and related collapses of the economic structures in countries that have adopted communism and autocratic government policies or systems;

• The issues and failures associated with communism and autocratic governments;

• The continued failure of communism and autocratic governments resulted from the direct influences of the following without limitation:

• The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and its successor state, Russia;

• The People's Republic of China;

• Democratic People's Republic of Korea; and

• Argentina; and

• The natural deterioration of democracies into autocracies over history, including without limitation in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

• Specifies that the provisions of this bill shall take effect immediately upon passage and approval by the Governor (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends and revises the instruction provided in Arkansas on the failure of communist and autocratic system and to reinforce in required instruction the resiliency of the constitutional republic system adopted by the United States of America.

Highlights:

• Requires that before the 2026-2027 school year, the Department of Education shall review and update current social studies standards for grades 7-12 in all public schools to include age-appropriate adjustments to ensure curricula, standards, materials, and units accurately compare and contrast the resiliency of the United States’s constitutional republic with the failures of communism and autocratic government system,s and other democratic government systems (Sec. 1).

• Requires that the changes include the following (Sec. 1):

• The adherence to constitutional limitation in the United States Government;

• The value of an educated citizenry and its ability to alter government direction via elections;

• The general subservience of constitutional republics to the citizens, while other forms of government require subservience to a single government institution or a single government leader;

• The record of mass murder and oppression committed as a  result of communism and autocratic governments;

• The economic structures and related collapses of the economic structures in countries that have adopted communism and autocratic government policies or systems;

• The issues and failures associated with communism and autocratic governments;

• The continued failure of communism and autocratic governments resulted from the direct influences of the following without limitation:

• The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and its successor state, Russia;

• The People's Republic of China;

• Democratic People's Republic of Korea; and

• Argentina; and

• The natural deterioration of democracies into autocracies over history, including without limitation in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

• Specifies that the provisions of this bill shall take effect immediately upon passage and approval by the Governor (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text