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<p>Public high school students statewide would have to pass a civics test in order to graduate, if a bill supported by State Rep. Karen Boback, R-Harvey&#8217;s Lake, becomes law.</p><p>&#8220;Passing&#8221; the test would mean getting at least 60 of 100 questions right, and students could take the test as often as they wanted beginning their freshman year. The test would be required beginning with the 2020-21 school year.</p><p>&#8220;Having been a teacher, the way I would like to see it adopted is that they could take the test at the start of the freshman year,&#8221; Boback said of House Bill 1858, sponsored primarily by Rep. William Kortz, D-Allegheny County. Boback&#8217;s name is second on the list of sponsors.</p><p>The questions would be the same ones used in the civics portion of the naturalization test used by the U.S. citizenship and Immigration Services. Both questions and answers are readily available online, which Boback argues mitigates any claim this would be an unfunded mandate.</p><p>&#8220;It doesn&#8217;t cost anything. They can go on the internet and study it anytime.&#8221; Boback said. &#8220;They can take it five, even 10 times a year. By the time the senior year comes around we expect them to know at least 60 percent of the answers.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve been going to different school systems,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Many told me they do this already.&#8221; Boback also said school officials have told her the students have been receptive.</p><p>The bill may get a boost Sept. 26 during a hearing before the committees on veteran affairs and emergency preparedness, when it will be on the agenda, Boback said.</p><p>Boback confessed time is running out in this legislative session, with less than two weeks until lawmakers recess, and if it doesn&#8217;t get to the floor for a vote, it will have to be reintroduced during the next session.</p><p>But even if it doesn&#8217;t make it to the floor this round, Boback said it would be beneficial to move it as far through the process as possible, so the pros and cons can be weighed and support built.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s almost taken on a life of its own. I&#8217;m elated at the positive feedback,&#8221; Boback said. &#8220;To me it&#8217;s important. It&#8217;s civics. We&#8217;re creating citizenship in this country.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre General Hospital Mountain Top Campus open house on Thursday. Pictured (L-R) Karen Boback, State Representative 117th Legislative District; and Jim Bobeck, Luzerne County Council.  (PETE G. WILCOX/THE TIMES LEADER) </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_Boback-Karen.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wilkes-Barre General Hospital Mountain Top Campus open house on Thursday. Pictured (L-R) Karen Boback, State Representative 117th Legislative District; and Jim Bobeck, Luzerne County Council.  (PETE G. WILCOX/THE TIMES LEADER) </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_civics-9-24-16.jpg">
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

New law would require passing civics test to graduate high school