Committee approves amended bill requiring civics demonstration for incoming college students, 10‑8

The committee advanced HB112 after adopting amendment 3095H, which added implementation options and exemptions. Representative Brown, sponsor of the amendment, said the amended bill lets incoming undergraduates either take the USCIS naturalization test, take a designated civics course, or pass a competency assessment for that course; the amendment also exempts veterans and active military service members. "This bill as amended simply requires all American students…should demonstrate basic knowledge of American institutions," Brown said when presenting the changes.

Critics raised concerns about the legislature intruding on university governance, implementation costs and test design. Representative Burton, a former college president, argued the legislature "delegated broad authority to the board of trustees" to set graduation requirements and said imposing statutory requirements risks politicizing higher education. Representative Bridal and others said the amendment adds requirements not accounted for in the original fiscal note and cautioned that offering a new general‑education course or administering the competency assessment would increase costs. Representative Fellows noted differences in test format (short vs. extended assessments) and questioned scoring clarity.

Committee roll call votes show the amendment was adopted and the committee passed the motion 'Ought to Pass as Amended' by 10 votes in favor and 8 opposed. Dissenters emphasized academic governance and fiscal uncertainty; supporters argued civic knowledge is a reasonable graduation threshold and many incoming students already meet the requirement by high‑school testing or military service.