On June 30, 2003, the North Carolina General Assembly adopted new legislative as part of its budget bill that calls for greater civic education activities and programs in middle and high schools. The legislation was a direct response to the North Carolina Civic Education Consortium's release of a statewide civics study, the North Carolina Civic Index, which included a survey of youth and adult civic competencies. The Index included many measures drawn from CIRCLE's National Youth Survey and The Civic & Political Health of the Nation: A Generational Portrait. While the provisions do not mandate action, the State Board of Education Chairman Howard Lee has committed to carrying out the provisions. Consortium Director Debra Henzey says that the Civic Index results provided critical information that persuaded legislators from both parties to act unanimously on the provisions. When the bill's sponsor, Sen. Joe Sam Queen, ran out of time to get the original bill through both houses, he negotiated with House and Senate leadership to insert the provisions in the budget bill. He has committed to mandating the provisions if the State Department does not act within two years to fully carry out the bill.

The key provisions are shown underlined below:
ENHANCEMENT OF CHARACTER AND CIVIC EDUCATION PROGRAM
SECTION 7.40.(a) G.S. 115C-81 is amended by adding two new subsections to read:
"§ 115C-81. Basic Education Program.

(g2) Student Councils. - All high schools and middle schools shall be strongly encouraged to have elected student councils through which students have input into policies and decisions that affect them. All other schools are encouraged to have student councils. The purpose of these student councils is to build civic skills and attitudes such as participation in elections, discussion and debate of issues, and collaborative decision making. Schools shall encourage active, broad-based participation in these student councils.
(g3) Current Events. - Schools should encourage discussions of current events in a wide range of classes, especially social studies and language arts classes. All high schools and middle schools are encouraged to have at least two classes per grade level to offer interactive current events discussions at least every four weeks."

SECTION 7.40.(b) G.S. 115C-81(h1) reads as rewritten:
"(h1) In addition to the instruction under subsection (h) of this section, local boards of
education are encouraged to include instruction on the following responsibilities:

(3) Service to others. - Engaging in meaningful service to their schools and their communities. Schools may teach service-learning by (i) incorporating it into their standard curriculum, or (ii) involving a classroom of students or some other group of students in one or more hands-on community-service projects. All schools are encouraged to provide opportunities for student involvement in community service or service-learning projects.
(4) Good citizenship. - Obeying the laws of the nation and this State; abiding by school rules; and understanding the rights and responsibilities of a member of a republic."