Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama House Bill HB342 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	HB342INTRODUCED
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3	3	HB342
4	4	BYMGRQ4-1
5	5	By Representatives DuBose, Mooney, Stadthagen, Gidley, Colvin,
6	6	Rigsby, Yarbrough, Shaw, Butler, Harrison, Standridge, Carns,
7	7	Woods, Faulkner, Sellers, Paschal
8	8	RFD: Education Policy
9	9	First Read: 25-Feb-25
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16	16	7 BYMGRQ4-1 02/20/2025 GP (L)lg 2025-771
17	17	Page 1
18	18	First Read: 25-Feb-25
19	19	SYNOPSIS:
20	20	Under existing law, the State Board of Education
21	21	has a policy providing elective credit to students who
22	22	attend religious instruction during the school day, and
23	23	each local board of education may choose whether to
24	24	implement the policy.
25	25	This bill would require each local board of
26	26	education to adopt a policy allowing elective credit to
27	27	students who are released from the classroom to attend
28	28	religious instruction during the school day.
29	29	A BILL
30	30	TO BE ENTITLED
31	31	AN ACT
32	32	Relating to public K-12 education; to amend Section
33	33	16-1-20.6, Code of Alabama 1975; to further provide for the
34	34	provision of elective credit for students who attend religious
35	35	instruction during the school day.
36	36	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
37	37	Section 1. Section 16-1-20.6, Code of Alabama 1975, is
38	38	amended to read as follows:
39	39	"§16-1-20.6
40	40	(a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the
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68	68	28 HB342 INTRODUCED
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70	70	(a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the
71	71	Alabama Released Time Credit Act.
72	72	(b) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
73	73	following:
74	74	(1) That the United States Supreme Court, in its
75	75	decision in Zorach v. Clauson, 343 U.S. 306 (1952), upheld the
76	76	constitutionality of released time programs for religious
77	77	instruction for public school students during the school day.
78	78	(2) That the United States Constitution and state law
79	79	allows local school districts to offer religious released time
80	80	education for the benefit of public school students.
81	81	(3) That the purpose of this section is to incorporate
82	82	a constitutionally acceptable method of allowing school
83	83	districts to offer released time classes and, in grades where
84	84	credit is earned, to award students elective credit for
85	85	classes taken during the school day in released time programs.
86	86	(c) As used in this section, the term released time
87	87	means a period of time during the school day when a student is
88	88	allowed to participate in an elective course in religious
89	89	instruction, conducted off school district property, by a
90	90	private entity.
91	91	(d) The State Board of Education shall adopt and each
92	92	local board of education may shall implement a policy
93	93	forallowing a student to attend released time as an elective
94	94	course if all of the following are satisfied:
95	95	(1) The parent or guardian of the student gives written
96	96	consent.
97	97	(2) The sponsoring entity maintains attendance records
98	98	and makes them available to the public school the student
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128	128	and makes them available to the public school the student
129	129	attends.
130	130	(3) The sponsoring entity makes provisions for and
131	131	assumes liability for the student who is excused for released
132	132	time.
133	133	(4) No public funds are expended other than de minimis
134	134	administrative costs.
135	135	(5) No public school personnel are involved in
136	136	providing the religious instruction.
137	137	(e) In grades where credit is earned, a student who
138	138	participates in released time may shall earn elective course
139	139	credit for participation, as provided by rules adopted by the
140	140	State Board of Education for elective courses. Credit awarded
141	141	may not exceed normal credit given for an elective course in
142	142	the particular school system. The State Board of Education
143	143	shall also adopt minimum standards for class attendance
144	144	necessary to qualify for credit.
145	145	(f) A student who participates in religious instruction
146	146	for elective credit during released time shall be credited
147	147	with time spent as if the student attended school, and the
148	148	time shall be calculated as part of the actual school day.
149	149	(g) Transportation to and from the place of released
150	150	time, including transportation for any student with
151	151	disabilities, is the complete responsibility of the sponsoring
152	152	private entity, parent, guardian, or student and may not be
153	153	arranged, coordinated, or provided for by public school
154	154	personnel.
155	155	(h) No student may be released from a required core
156	156	curriculum class to attend released time."
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186	186	curriculum class to attend released time."
187	187	Section 2. This act shall become effective on July 1,
188	188	2025.
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