Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
*TNL024* 01/15/2025 8:32:00 AM TNL024
State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1139 3
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By: Representative B. McKenzie 5
By: Senator J. Bryant 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO CREATE THE RELEASED TIME EDUCATION ACT; AND 9
FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 10
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Subtitle 13
TO CREATE THE RELEASED TIME EDUCATION 14
ACT. 15
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 17
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 18, Subchapter 2, is amended 19
to add an additional section to read as follows: 20
6-18-237. Released Time Education Act. 21
(a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Released Time 22
Education Act". 23
(b) As used in this section: 24
(1) "Released time course" means a course in religious moral 25
instruction that is taught by an independent entity for which a student is 26
excused from school to attend; and 27
(2) "School" means: 28
(A) A public school district; or 29
(B) An open-enrollment public charter school. 30
(c)(1) A school, upon request of the parent, legal guardian, or person 31
standing in loco parentis to an enrolled student, shall excuse the student 32
from school to attend a released time course. 33
(2) A student under subdivision (c)(1) of this section shall be 34
excused from school to attend the released time course for at least one (1) 35
hour each week but not more than five (5) hours each week. 36