Requiring the Disruption of the School Day to Allow Recruitment to Certain Patriotic Organizations is Not Small Government.

Question: Is the purpose of SB1016 primarily to allow Boy Scouts to recruit new members and use school facilities after hours? Or is it for Military recruiting? Either way, these decisions are better made at the local level.

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On Tuesday, January 23rd, Florida’s Senate Education Pre-K committee will hear SB1016: Patriotic Organizations, sponsored by Senator Tom Wright (R-9, Brevard and Volusia counties). SB1016 says school districts shall allow  representatives of certain “patriotic organizations” the opportunity, during school hours and instructional time, to speak with students, distribute materials (using the school’s “existing communication channels”) and recruit students to their organization, informing students how involvement with their organization may better the students’ school, community and themselves. The bill also requires that school districts provide such organizations the opportunity to display recruitment materials at schools and the use any of the school buildings for such purposes if the activities occur outside of the school day.

(2) Each school district shall:
   28         (a) Allow a representative of a patriotic organization the
   29  opportunity, during school hours and instructional time, to
   30  speak with and distribute instructional materials to students to
   31  encourage participation in the patriotic organization and its
   32  activities and inform students of how the patriotic organization
   33  may further the students’ educational interests and civic
   34  involvement to better the students’ school and community and
   35  themselves.
   36         (b) Provide opportunities for a patriotic organization to
   37  have displays at schools within the district to provide
   38  opportunities for student recruitment. Such displays may include
   39  informational flyers and the use of other existing communication
   40  channels.
   41         (c) Provide a specific day and time for the patriotic
   42  organization to speak to students at schools within the district
   43  after the patriotic organization has provided reasonable notice
   44  of its intent to speak to students and provide displays.
   45         (3) A patriotic organization must be allowed the use of any
   46  school building or property for the purposes of paragraphs
   47  (2)(a) and (b), if such activities occur outside of the school
   48  day.

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/1016/BillText/Filed/HTML

SB1016 defines “patriotic organizations as:

• those listed in U.S. Code: Title 36 as it existed on January 1, 2020 (I think this means pre-Biden)
• which are “a youth membership organization serving young people under the age of 21”
• with an educational purpose that promotes patriotism and civic involvement

• Chapter 201: Agricultural Hall of Fame
• Chapter 202: Air Force Sergeants Association
• Chapter 203: American Academy of Arts and Letters
• Chapter 205: American Chemical Society
• Chapter 207: American Council of Learned Societies
• Chapter 209: American Ex-Prisoners of War
• Chapter 210: American GI Forum
• Chapter 211: American Gold Star Mothers
• Chapter 213: American Historical Association
• Chapter 215: American Hospital of Paris
• Chapter 217: The American Legion
• Chapter 219: The American National Theater and Academy
• Chapter 221: The American Society of International Law
• Chapter 223: American Symphony Orchestra League
• Chapter 225: American War Mothers
• Chapter 227: AMVETS (American Veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam)
• Chapter 229: Army and Navy Union of the United States of America
• Chapter 231: Aviation Hall of Fame
• Chapter 301: Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
• Chapter 303: Blinded Veterans Association
• Chapter 305: Blue Star Mothers of America
• Chapter 307: Board for Fundamental Education
• Chapter 309: Boy Scouts of America
• Chapter 311: Boys & Girls Clubs of America
• Chapter 401: Catholic War Veterans of the United States of America
• Chapter 403: Civil Air Patrol
• Chapter 405: Congressional Medal of Honor Society of the United States of America
• Chapter 407: Corporation for the Promotion of Rifle Practice and Firearms Safety
• Chapter 501: Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War 1861-1865
• Chapter 503: Disabled American Veterans
• Chapter 601: 82nd Airborne Division Association, Incorporated
• Chapter 701: Fleet Reserve Association
• Chapter 703: Former Members of Congress
• Chapter 705: The Foundation of the Federal Bar Association
• Chapter 707: Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association
• Chapter 709: National FFA Organization
• Chapter 801: General Federation of Women’s Clubs
• Chapter 803: Girl Scouts of the United States of America
• Chapter 805: Gold Star Wives of America
• Chapter 1001: Italian American War Veterans of the United States
• Chapter 1101: Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America
• Chapter 1103: Jewish War Veterans, U.S.A., National Memorial
• Chapter 1301: Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic
• Chapter 1303: Legion of Valor of the United States of America
• Chapter 1305: Little League Baseball
• Chapter 1401: Marine Corps League
• Chapter 1403: The Military Chaplains Association of the United States of America
• Chapter 1404: Military Officers Association of America
• Chapter 1405: Military Order of the Purple Heart of the United States of America
• Chapter 1407: Military Order of the World Wars
• Chapter 1501: National Academy of Public Administration
• Chapter 1503: National Academy of Sciences
• Chapter 1505: National Conference of State Societies
• Chapter 1507: National Conference On Citizenship
• Chapter 1509: National Council On Radiation Protection and Measurements
• Chapter 1511: National Education Association of the United States
• Chapter 1513: National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
• Chapter 1515: National Federation of Music Clubs
• Chapter 1517: National Film Preservation Foundation
• Chapter 1519: National Fund for Medical Education
• Chapter 1521: National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum
• Chapter 1523: National Music Council
• Chapter 1524: National Recording Preservation Foundation
• Chapter 1525: National Safety Council
• Chapter 1527: National Ski Patrol System
• Chapter 1529: National Society, Daughters of the American Colonists
• Chapter 1531: The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution
• Chapter 1533: National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
• Chapter 1535: National Tropical Botanical Garden
• Chapter 1537: National Woman’s Relief Corps, Auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic
• Chapter 1539: The National Yeomen Foundation
• Chapter 1541: Naval Sea Cadet Corps
• Chapter 1543: Navy Club of the United States of America
• Chapter 1545: Navy Wives Clubs of America
• Chapter 1547: Non Commissioned Officers Association of the United States of America
• Chapter 1701: Paralyzed Veterans of America
• Chapter 1703: Pearl Harbor Survivors Association
• Chapter 1705: Polish Legion of American Veterans
• Chapter 1901: Reserve Officers Association of the United States
• Chapter 1903: Retired Enlisted Association, Incorporated
• Chapter 2001: Society of American Florists and Ornamental Horticulturists
• Chapter 2003: Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
• Chapter 2101: Theodore Roosevelt Association
• Chapter 2103: 369th Veterans’ Association
• Chapter 2201: United Service Organizations, Incorporated
• Chapter 2203: United States Capitol Historical Society
• Chapter 2205: United States Olympic Committee
• Chapter 2207: United States Submarine Veterans of World War II
• Chapter 2301: Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
• Chapter 2303: Veterans of World War I of the United States of America
• Chapter 2305: Vietnam Veterans of America
• Chapter 2401: Women’s Army Corps Veterans’ Association

Compiled from: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/36/subtitle-II/part-B 

So Little League is on this list, but AYSO is not? Daughters of the American Revolution is ok but League of Women Voters is not? I wonder if the sponsor knows the GOP’s nemesis, the NEA, is on this list?

There are 92 groups on this list (it appears none have been added since 1/1/20). Ignoring the religious nature of some of the groups, requiring a district to allow every organization access to students during instructional time could be extremely disruptive to the 180 day school year. There are not enough bulletin boards in our schools to display all the recruitment materials.

How many of these organizations are “youth membership organizations serving young people under the age of 21?” I wonder if this a bill primarily written to allow Boy Scouts to recruit new members and use school facilities after hours? (Is Senator Wright an Eagle Scout? Does anyone know?) If that is the purpose, why hide behind “patriotic organizations”? Just come out and say it.

The House companion, HB1317 (Duggan, R-12 Duval) states “each school district may” (not shall as in SB1016) allow such representatives access to students during the school day but also makes clear that allowing a patriotic organization “to speak with and distribute materials to students or use school buildings or property” does not mean the district must “provide equal access to an organization that is not designated as a patriotic organization.” This could limit divergent viewpoints in our classrooms (probably that is a feature, not a bug, of this bill). It also could allow Little League but not AYSO access to school facilities.

For the record, I believe most schools would welcome presentations from these patriotic organizations. Social studies teachers would love to have Pearl Harbor Survivors, Purple Heart Recipents or Vietnam Veterans in their classrooms. Mandating access during the school day, for the purpose of recruiting students to specific organizations, however, seems to be an overreach and these decisions can, and should, be left to local school districts.

Who can have access to school buildings and property should also be a matter of local district policy, as it may affect school security and insurance, among other things.

SB1016 is the kind of bill that encourages legislators to further erode local control of school districts by hiding behind the word “Patriotism.” Who can vote against “Patriotism”? Don’t fall for it. Let these organization have these discussions with their local districts. Don’t mandate their access from Tallahassee.

If you are in these organizations, please offer your services to your local schools. Kids will be fascinated to hear your experiences. Help make History and Civics come alive for them.