July 28, 2003

Another "Design Hypothesis" Bill

On July 17 House Bill 5005 was introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives and referred to the Education Committee. HB 5005 endorses "teaching the design hypothesis as an explanation for the origin and diversity of life."

House Bill 4705, introduced in 2001, contained the same provisions and some of the same sponsors as HB 5005. The 2001-2 Education Committee took no action on HB 4705. The full text of HB 5005 follows:

HOUSE BILL No. 5005

July 17, 2003, Introduced by Reps. Hoogendyk, Moolenaar, Drolet, Voorhees, Vander Veen, Bradstreet, Ehardt and Tabor and referred to the Committee on Education.

A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled "The revised school code," (MCL 380.1 to 380.1852) by adding section 1164.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 1164. (1) The teaching in a public school science class of the methodological naturalism hypothesis as an explanation for the origin and diversity of life shall not preclude also teaching the design hypothesis as an explanation for the origin and diversity of life. A public school official shall not censor or prohibit the teaching of the design hypothesis.
(2) As used in this section:
(a) "Design hypothesis" means the theory that life and its diversity result from a combination of chance, necessity, and design.
(b) "Methodological naturalism hypothesis" means the theory that nature is all there is and that all phenomena, including living systems, result only from chance and necessity.