Speeches & Testimony
| Civic Education

ACTA Testimony to Tennessee House Education Committee on HB291

March 10, 2026 Download PDF

On March 10, ACTA President Michael Poliakoff testified before the Tennessee House of Representatives’ Education Committee on House Bill 291. HB 291, introduced by Representative Ron Gant, requires all undergraduate students to take a minimum of 3 credit hours of American history. The course must include an understanding of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Emancipation Proclamation, 5 essays from the Federalist Papers, the Gettysburg Address, Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, and at least 1 selected work detailing the African American freedom struggle. HB 291 also requires all students to pass a final exam that covers the content. What makes this bill even stronger is it requires that course material for the American civics requirement be created by the Institute of American Civics at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. 

Download a PDF version HERE.

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