House Bill 1495

AN ACT TO PROHIBIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGES AND STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING FROM TEACHING CRITICAL RACE THEORY AND THE 1619 PROJECT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) For purposes of this section, the term "critical race theory" means the theory that racism is not merely the product of learned individual bias or prejudice, but that racism is systemically embedded in American society and the American legal system to facilitate racial inequality. "Critical race theory" includes, but is not limited to, any of the following tenets:

(a) Any sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color or national origin is inherently superior or inferior.

(b) Individuals should be treated adversely on the basis of their sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color or national origin.

(c) Individuals, by virtue of sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color or national origin, are inherently responsible for actions committed in the past by other members of the same sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color or national origin.

(2) Public schools, community and junior colleges, and state institutions of higher learning in the State of Mississippi may not:

(a) Direct or otherwise compel or attempt to influence students to personally affirm, adopt or adhere to the tenets of critical race theory; or

(b) Include in their curriculum instruction relating to critical race theory or introduce a course of instruction or unit of study directing or otherwise compelling or attempting to influence students to personally affirm, adopt or adhere to any of the tenets of critical race theory.

SECTION 2. Public schools, community and junior colleges, and state institutions of higher learning in the State of Mississippi may not include a course of instruction or unit of study in their curriculum or otherwise teach, use or provide for a student's use any curricula, instructional materials or assignments that, in whole or in part, are derived from or designed to teach components of a project of The New York Times known as the "1619 Project" or any similarly developed curriculum.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2022.