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Read. Follow. Verify.Kentucky Requires African and Native American History Instruction in Public Middle and High Schools
Last action · January 14, 2026: to Primary and Secondary Education (H)Sponsors: George Brown and 1 other
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What This Bill Proposed
Beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, public middle and high school world history and United States history courses that are not advanced placement must include specific instruction on African and Native American history and cultures. The legislation directs the department to collaborate with heritage organizations to develop academic standards, recommended curricula, and professional development materials, while school district superintendents determine local curricula.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
public middle and high school students
school district superintendents
Superintendents must determine course curricula that include the required historical instruction and align with state academic standards.
public middle and high school instructors
Key Facts
- Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, non-advanced placement world history or world civilization courses in public middle and high schools must include African history relevant to the time period.
- Mandated African history instruction must cover specified civilizations including Kush, Kongo, Punt, Benin, Zulu, Berber, Mutapa, Zimbabwe, Mali, Songhai, Carthage, Ghana, Asante, Ethiopian, Aksumite, and Egyptian Empires.
- Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, non-advanced placement United States history courses covering the founding of the U.S. must include Native American culture and history prior to and after the founding.
- Mandated Native American instruction must cover indigenous peoples of the Eastern Woodlands, Great Basin, Plains, Southwest, Mission Indians, Northwest Coast, Alaska, and Pacific Islands.
Show all 8 facts
- The department must collaborate with the Kentucky Center for African-American Heritage and the Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission to develop elective high school course offerings.
- The board must promulgate administrative regulations establishing academic standards for the required African and Native American history instruction.
- Superintendents of each school district determine course curricula that include the required instruction and align with established academic standards.
- The department must develop recommended curricula, historical instruction guidelines, and professional development materials in collaboration with both heritage organizations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this requirement apply to advanced placement courses?
Who determines the specific curricula for the school districts?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Jan 14, 2026HouseCommitteeto Primary and Secondary Education (H)
- Jan 7, 2026HouseIntroducedintroduced in House to Committee on Committees (H)
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Mandatory Expansion of African and Native American History
The bill shifts public school curriculum requirements by making instruction in specific African empires and Native American cultures mandatory in non-advanced placement history courses.
Connected Entities
Sources
apps.legislature.ky.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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