| 1 | 1 | | Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law. |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | *TNL024* 01/15/2025 8:32:00 AM TNL024 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | State of Arkansas 1 |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | 95th General Assembly A Bill 2 |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1139 3 |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | 4 |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | By: Representative B. McKenzie 5 |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | By: Senator J. Bryant 6 |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | 7 |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | For An Act To Be Entitled 8 |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | AN ACT TO CREATE THE RELEASED TIME EDUCATION ACT; AND 9 |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 10 |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | 11 |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | 12 |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | Subtitle 13 |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | TO CREATE THE RELEASED TIME EDUCATION 14 |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | ACT. 15 |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | 16 |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 17 |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | 18 |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 18, Subchapter 2, is amended 19 |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | to add an additional section to read as follows: 20 |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | 6-18-237. Released Time Education Act. 21 |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Released Time 22 |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | Education Act". 23 |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (b) As used in this section: 24 |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | (1) "Released time course" means a course in religious moral 25 |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | instruction that is taught by an independent entity for which a student is 26 |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | excused from school to attend; and 27 |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | (2) "School" means: 28 |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | (A) A public school district; or 29 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | (B) An open-enrollment public charter school. 30 |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | (c)(1) A school, upon request of the parent, legal guardian, or person 31 |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | standing in loco parentis to an enrolled student, shall excuse the student 32 |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | from school to attend a released time course. 33 |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | (2) A student under subdivision (c)(1) of this section shall be 34 |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | excused from school to attend the released time course for at least one (1) 35 |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | hour each week but not more than five (5) hours each week. 36 |
|---|