GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2017

SESSION LAW 2017-65

SENATE BILL 64

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH VETERANS' HISTORY AWARENESS MONTH IN NOVEMBER.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 115C‑84.2(b) reads as rewritten:

"(b)      Limitations. – The following limitations apply when developing the school calendar:

(1)        The total number of teacher workdays for teachers employed for a 10‑month term shall not exceed 195 days.

(2)        The calendar shall include at least 42 consecutive days when teacher attendance is not required unless: (i) the school is a year‑round school; or (ii) the teacher is employed for a term in excess of 10 months. At the request of the local board of education or of the principal of a school, a teacher may elect to work on one of the 42 days when teacher attendance is not required in lieu of another scheduled workday.

(3)        School shall not be held on Sundays.

(4)        Veterans Day shall be a holiday for all public school personnel and for all students enrolled in the public schools. The month of November shall be designated "Veterans' History Awareness Month.""

SECTION 2.  G.S. 115C‑12 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:

"§ 115C‑12.  Powers and duties of the Board generally.

The general supervision and administration of the free public school system shall be vested in the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall establish policy for the system of free public schools, subject to laws enacted by the General Assembly. The powers and duties of the State Board of Education are defined as follows:

…

(33a) Duty to Develop Recommended Programs for Use in Schools During Veterans' History Awareness Month. – The State Board of Education shall develop recommended programs in collaboration with active military installations, veterans, and veterans service organizations that enable students to gain a better understanding of the meaning and importance of the contributions of American veterans and, in particular, veterans from North Carolina. Recommended programs may be integrated into lesson plans and may include veteran participation and veteran sponsorship in the form of an Adopt‑A‑Veteran program. All schools are encouraged to collaborate with veterans and veteran service organizations during Veterans' History Awareness Month to designate time for appropriate commemorative activities.

…."

SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with the 2017‑2018 school year.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 22^nd day of June, 2017.

                                                                    s/  Daniel J. Forest

                                                                         President of the Senate

                                                                    s/  Tim Moore

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives

                                                                    s/  Roy Cooper

                                                                         Governor

Approved 6:11 p.m. this 28^th day of June, 2017