Alabama State Sen. Gerald Allen would like to hear the sounds of the Star Spangled Banner emanating from every school in the state at least once a week.

In fact, he would like to make it mandatory.

Allen has pre-filed a bill that proposes to mandate that local boards of education create policies mandating that every K–12 public school broadcast or authorize the performance of The Star-Spangled Banner at least once a week during school hours.

This bill’s goal or effect would be to mandate a new or higher local funding expenditure within the section’s parameters. But because the law falls under one of the section’s specific exclusions, it doesn’t need to be approved by a local government body or enacted by a 2/3 majority to take effect.

At least two students at Birmingham’s Ramsay High School don’t think this bill is needed.

Michael Cameron, a junior at Ramsay, believes that students should focus on their work rather than the national anthem.

“There is only a small amount of instruction time throughout the day, so students need to focus more on that,” Cameron said.

Senior Kamyl Bailey at Ramsay said modern students don’t even know the national anthem by heart and don’t think it’s authentic.

“I don’t think it’s needed, especially in my high school, because we don’t believe in it. The bill won’t change that,” Bailey said.

Allen tried unsuccessfully to get a similar bill passed last session.

Efforts by AL.com to reach Allen were unsuccessful but he told ABC 33/40 news that he wants the anthem played in schools to show the importance of patriotism to students and generate discussions about what it means to be an American.