Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama Senate Bill SB278 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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1		-	~~SB278ENGROSSED~~
	1	+	SB278INTRODUCED
2	2		Page 0
3	3		SB278
4		-	3PNCHZE-2
	4	+	3PNCHZE-1
5	5		By Senator Shelnutt
6	6		RFD: Education Policy
7	7		First Read: 01-Apr-25
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12		-	5 ~~SB278 Engrossed~~
	12	+	5 3PNCHZE-1 03/19/2025 GP (L)lg 2025-1346
13	13		Page 1
14	14		First Read: 01-Apr-25
	15	+	SYNOPSIS:
	16	+	Under existing law, the State Board of Education
	17	+	has a policy providing elective credit to students who
	18	+	attend religious instruction during the school day, and
	19	+	each local board of education may choose whether to
	20	+	implement the policy.
	21	+	This bill would require each local board of
	22	+	education to implement a policy allowing elective
	23	+	credit to students who are released from the classroom
	24	+	to attend religious instruction during the school day,
	25	+	provided each local board of education may tailor the
	26	+	policy to meet their needs.
15	27		A BILL
16	28		TO BE ENTITLED
17	29		AN ACT
18	30		Relating to public K-12 education; to amend Section
19	31		16-1-20.6, Code of Alabama 1975; to further provide for the
20	32		provision of elective credit for students who attend religious
21	33		instruction during the school day.
22	34		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
23	35		Section 1. Section 16-1-20.6, Code of Alabama 1975, is
24	36		amended to read as follows:
25		-	"§16-1-20.6
26		-	(a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the
27		-	Alabama Released Time Credit Act.
28		-	(b) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
29		-	following:
30		-	(1) That the United States Supreme Court, in its
31		-	decision in Zorach v. Clauson, 343 U.S. 306 (1952), upheld the
32		-	constitutionality of released time programs for religious
33		-	instruction for public school students during the school day.
34		-	(2) That the United States Constitution and state law
35		-	allows local school districts to offer religious released time
36		-	education for the benefit of public school students.
37		-	(3) That the purpose of this section is to incorporate
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65		-	28 SB278 ~~Engrossed~~
	64	+	28 SB278 INTRODUCED
66	65		Page 2
	66	+	amended to read as follows:
	67	+	"§16-1-20.6
	68	+	(a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the
	69	+	Alabama Released Time Credit Act.
	70	+	(b) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
	71	+	following:
	72	+	(1) That the United States Supreme Court, in its
	73	+	decision in Zorach v. Clauson, 343 U.S. 306 (1952), upheld the
	74	+	constitutionality of released time programs for religious
	75	+	instruction for public school students during the school day.
	76	+	(2) That the United States Constitution and state law
	77	+	allows local school districts to offer religious released time
	78	+	education for the benefit of public school students.
67	79		(3) That the purpose of this section is to incorporate
68	80		a constitutionally acceptable method of allowing school
69	81		districts to offer released time classes and, in grades where
70	82		credit is earned, to award students elective credit for
71	83		classes taken during the school day in released time programs.
72	84		(c) As used in this section, the term released time
73	85		means a period of time during the school day when a student is
74	86		allowed to participate in an elective course in religious
75	87		instruction, conducted off school district property, by a
76	88		private entity.
77	89		(d) The State Board of Education shall adopt and each
78	90		local board of education may shall implement a policy
79	91		forallowing a student to attend released time as an elective
80	92		course if all of the following are satisfied:
81	93		(1) The parent or guardian of the student gives written
82	94		consent.
83		-	(2) The sponsoring entity maintains attendance records
84		-	and makes them available to the public school the student
85		-	attends.
86		-	(3) The sponsoring entity makes provisions for and
87		-	assumes liability for the student who is excused for released
88		-	time.
89		-	(4) No public funds are expended other than de minimis
90		-	administrative costs.
91		-	(5) No public school personnel are involved in
92		-	providing the religious instruction.
93		-	(e) In grades where credit is earned, a student who
94		-	participates in released time may earn elective course credit
95		-	for participation, as provided by rules adopted by the State
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123		-	56 SB278 ~~Engrossed~~
	122	+	56 SB278 INTRODUCED
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	124	+	consent.
	125	+	(2) The sponsoring entity maintains attendance records
	126	+	and makes them available to the public school the student
	127	+	attends.
	128	+	(3) The sponsoring entity makes provisions for and
	129	+	assumes liability for the student who is excused for released
	130	+	time.
	131	+	(4) No public funds are expended other than de minimis
	132	+	administrative costs.
	133	+	(5) No public school personnel are involved in
	134	+	providing the religious instruction.
	135	+	(e) In grades where credit is earned, a student who
	136	+	participates in released time may earn elective course credit
125	137		for participation, as provided by rules adopted by the State
126	138		Board of Education for elective courses. Credit awarded may
127	139		not exceed normal credit given for an elective course in the
128	140		particular school system. The State Board of Education shall
129	141		also adopt minimum standards for class attendance necessary to
130	142		qualify for credit.
131	143		(f) A student who participates in religious instruction
132	144		for elective credit during released time shall be credited
133	145		with time spent as if the student attended school, and the
134	146		time shall be calculated as part of the actual school day.
135	147		(g) Transportation to and from the place of released
136	148		time, including transportation for any student with
137	149		disabilities, is the complete responsibility of the sponsoring
138	150		private entity, parent, guardian, or student and may not be
139	151		arranged, coordinated, or provided for by public school
140	152		personnel.
141		-	(h) No student may be released from a required core
142		-	curriculum class to attend released time .
143		-	(i) Nothing in this act may be construed to limit the
144		-	authority of local boards of education to tailor the policies
145		-	required by this section to meet their specific needs,
146		-	provided the policy reflects the requirements of this section
147		-	and complies with applicable law, rules, and regulations.
148		-	(j) Nothing in this section shall be construed to
149		-	require local boards of education that adopted policies
150		-	permitting released time instruction prior to July 1, 2025, to
151		-	amend or alter those policies, provided the policies are
152		-	otherwise in compliance with all applicable laws, rules, and
153		-	regulations."
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181		-	84 SB278 ~~Engrossed~~
	180	+	84 SB278 INTRODUCED
182	181		Page 4
183		-	regulations."
	182	+	personnel.
	183	+	(h) No student may be released from a required core
	184	+	curriculum class to attend released time .
	185	+	(i) Nothing in this act may be construed to limit the
	186	+	authority of local boards of education to tailor the policies
	187	+	required by this section to meet their specific needs,
	188	+	provided the policy reflects the requirements of this section
	189	+	and complies with applicable law, rules, and regulations ."
184	190		Section 2. This act shall become effective on July 1,
185	191		2025.
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187		-	86 SB278 Engrossed
188		-	Page 5
189		-	2025.
190		-	Senate
191		-	Read for the first time and referred
192		-	to the Senate committee on Education
193		-	Policy
194		-	................01-Apr-25
195		-	Read for the second time and placed
196		-	on the calendar:
197		-	0 amendments
198		-	................17-Apr-25
199		-	Read for the third time and passed
200		-	as amended
201		-	Yeas 25
202		-	Nays 6
203		-	Abstains 0
204		-	................22-Apr-25
205		-	Patrick Harris,
206		-	Secretary.
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