§ 17:2124 — Historical documents; displays; legislative intent; historical context; donations

§2124. Historical documents; displays; legislative intent; historical context; donations
A. The legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) In 2005, the Supreme Court of the United States recognized that it is permissible
to display the Ten Commandments on government property in Van Orden v. Perry, 545 U.S.
677, 688 (2005).
(2) In 2006, the legislature enacted Act No. 602 of the 2006 Regular Session of the
Legislature which provided for the secretary of state to publish the Ten Commandments and
other historically significant documents for posting in courthouses and other public buildings
to address "a need to educate and inform the public as to the history and background of
American and Louisiana law".
(3) In 2019, the Supreme Court of the United States further recognized that the Ten
Commandments "have historical significance as one of the foundations of our legal system.
. ." in American Legion v. American Humanists Association, 588 U.S. 29, 53 (2019), and
the court also ruled that the displaying of the Ten Commandments on public property may
have "multiple purposes" such as "historical significance" and represent a "common cultural
heritage". Id. at 54.
(4) Recognizing the historical role of the Ten Commandments accords with our
nation's history and faithfully reflects the understanding of the founders of our nation with
respect to the necessity of civic morality to a functional self-government. History records
that James Madison, the fourth President of the United States of America, stated that "(w)e
have staked the whole future of our new nation . . . upon the capacity of each of ourselves
to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments".
(5) Including the Ten Commandments in the education of our children is part of our
state and national history, culture, and tradition.
(6) The text of the Ten Commandments set forth in Subsection B of this Section is
identical to the text of the Ten Commandments monument that was upheld by the Supreme
Court of the United States in Van Orden v. Perry, 545 U.S. 677, 688 (2005).
(7) The Mayflower Compact of 1620 was America's first written constitution and
made a Covenant with Almighty God to "form a civil body politic". This was the first purely
American document of self-government and affirmed the link between civil society and God.
(8) The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 provided a method of admitting new states to
the Union from the territory as the country expanded to the Pacific. The Ordinance "extended
the fundamental principles of civil and religious liberty" to the territories and stated that
"(r)eligion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness
of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged".
(9) It is the legislature's intent to apply the decision set forth by the Supreme Court
of the United States in Van Orden v. Perry , 545 U.S. 677(2005), to continue the rich
tradition and ensure that the students in our public schools may understand and appreciate
the foundational documents of our state and national government.
(10) The Supreme Court of the United States acknowledged that the Ten
Commandments may be displayed on local government property when a private donation is
made for the purchase of the historical monument. Pleasant Grove City, Utah v. Summum,
555 U.S. 460 (2009).
(11) It is the intention of the legislature that this Section shall not create an unfunded
mandate on any public school governing authority. The school boards are encouraged to use
documents that are printed and made available to the schools free of charge.
B.(1) No later than January 1, 2025, each public school governing authority shall
display the Ten Commandments in each classroom in each school under its jurisdiction. The
nature of the display shall be determined by each governing authority with a minimum
requirement that the Ten Commandments shall be displayed on a poster or framed document
that is at least eleven inches by fourteen inches. The text of the Ten Commandments shall
be the central focus of the poster or framed document and shall be printed in a large, easily
readable font.
(2) The text shall read as follows:
(3) The Ten Commandments shall be displayed with a context statement as follows:
"The History of the Ten Commandments in American Public Education
The Ten Commandments were a prominent part of American public education for
almost three centuries. Around the year 1688, The New England Primer became the first
published American textbook and was the equivalent of a first grade reader. The New
England Primer was used in public schools throughout the United States for more than one
hundred fifty years to teach Americans to read and contained more than forty questions about
the Ten Commandments.
The Ten Commandments were also included in public school textbooks published
by educator William McGuffey, a noted university president and professor. A version of his
famous McGuffey Readers was written in the early 1800s and became one of the most
popular textbooks in the history of American education, selling more than one hundred
million copies. Copies of the McGuffey Readers are still available today.
The Ten Commandments also appeared in textbooks published by Noah Webster in
which were widely used in American public schools along with America's first
comprehensive dictionary that Webster also published. His textbook, The American Spelling
Book, contained the Ten Commandments and sold more than one hundred million copies for
use by public school children all across the nation and was still available for use in American
public schools in the year 1975."
(4) A public school may also display the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of
Independence, and the Northwest Ordinance, as provided in R.S. 25:1282, along with the
Ten Commandments.
(5) This Section shall not require a public school governing authority to spend its
funds to purchase displays. In order to fund the displays free of charge, the school public
governing authority shall do either of the following:
(a) Accept donated funds to purchase the displays.
(b) Accept donated displays.
(6)(a) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall adopt rules and
regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act to ensure the proper
implementation of this Section.
(b) The state Department of Education shall identify appropriate resources to comply
with the provisions of this Section that are free of charge. Once identified, the department
shall list the free resources on the department's internet website.
C.(1) No later than January 1, 2025, each public postsecondary education
management board shall require each institution under its jurisdiction to display the Ten
Commandments in each classroom on the institution's campus. At a minimum, the Ten
Commandments shall be displayed on a poster or framed document that is at least eleven
inches by fourteen inches. The text of the Ten Commandments shall be the central focus of
the poster or framed document and shall be printed in a large, easily readable font.
(2) The text shall read as provided in Paragraph (B)(2) of this Section.
(3) This Subsection does not require a public postsecondary education management
board or any public postsecondary education institution to spend its funds to purchase such
displays. An institution or management board or governing authority may spend donated
funds to purchase the Ten Commandments or other historical documents provided for in this
Section or may accept donated displays.

Legislative History

Acts 2024, No. 676, §1, eff. June 19, 2024.