SENATE BILL NO. 2
INTRODUCED BY LAIBLE
AN ACT RECOGNIZING THE AUTHORITY OF STATE AGENCIES AND UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO DISPLAY THE NATIONAL MOTTO AND OTHER HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS IN OR ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS OR ON STATE LAND; PROHIBITING THE CENSORSHIP OF AMERICAN HISTORY OR HERITAGE BASED ON RELIGIOUS REFERENCES IN WRITINGS, DOCUMENTS, OR RECORDS; PROHIBITING THE SELECTION OF WRITINGS, DOCUMENTS, OR MATERIAL FOR DISPLAY IN ORDER TO ADVANCE A PARTICULAR RELIGIOUS, PARTISAN, OR SECTARIAN PURPOSE; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. Display of historical writings or documents in or on public buildings or on state land -- definitions. (1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (3), a state agency or unit of local government may display the national motto, "in God we trust", as adopted by congress in 1998 (36 U.S.C. 302), in or on public buildings or state-owned land occupied by a state agency or unit of local government. For purposes of this section, the use of the word "God" is not intended to further the establishment of any specific religion or set of religious beliefs or to dissuade the free exercise of any religion or set of religious beliefs.
(2) In addition to the national motto, the legislature encourages the display of other historical documents in or on public buildings and state-owned land, including but not limited to:
(a) the Declaration of Independence;
(b) the United States constitution;
(c) the pledge of allegiance;
(d) the national anthem;
(e) the Mayflower Compact;
(f) the writings, speeches, documents, and proclamations of the founders and the presidents of the United States;
(g) writings from United States supreme court decisions;
(h) organic documents from the precolonial, colonial, revolutionary, federalist, and postfederalist eras;
(i) acts of the United States congress, including the published text of the Congressional Record;
(j) United States treaties; and
(k) any other writings, documents, or proclamations that are permanently displayed in a historic context in the United States capitol.
(3) The content of any writing, document, or record described in subsection (2) may not be censored solely because the writing, document, or record contains religious references, nor may any writings, documents, or material be selected for display in order to advance a particular religious, partisan, or sectarian purpose.
(4) As used in this section, the following definitions apply:
(a) "Local government" has the meaning provided in 1-2-116.
(b) "State agency" has the meaning provided in 1-2-116.
Section 2. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 1, chapter 1, part 5, and the provisions of Title 1, chapter 1, part 5, apply to [section 1].
Section 3. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.
- END -
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