As Amended by Senate Committee
As Amended by House Committee
Session of 2023
HOUSE BILL No. 2236
By Committee on Education
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AN ACT concerning education; relating to school districts; establishing
parents' right to direct the education and upbringing of their children
including the right to object to harmful or inappropriate educational
materials and activities that are not included in approved
curriculum or standards or impair a parent's beliefs, values or
principles.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. (a) Every parent of a child in this state has a right to direct
the education, upbringing and moral or religious training of such child.
(b) In accordance with the rights established under this section, each
parent of a student enrolled in any school district shall be permitted by
such school district to object to any educational materials or activities on
the basis that such material or activity harms the student is not included in
the approved district curriculum or state educational standards or
impairs the parent's sincerely held beliefs, values or principles and to
withdraw such student from the class or educational program in which the
material or activity is being provided. No student's academic records shall
be adversely affected by withdrawal from a class or educational program
pursuant to this section. Exemptions from required instruction granted
pursuant to this section do not excuse a student from the responsibility
to complete comparable alternative assignments offered to obtain credit
in the course, the total semester hours required for attendance or
required courses for graduation by any such withdrawal from a class or
educational program pursuant to this section. If an activity or resource
impairs a parent's belief or value, an agreed upon alternative activity or
resource shall be utilized. When appropriate, the student may remain in
the classroom, or a placement shall be provided to give the student
instructional support.
(c) The board of education of each school district shall adopt policies
and procedures to guarantee the free exercise of the rights established
under this section by the parents of students enrolled in such school
district. Such policies and procedures shall include provisions for
implementing subsection (b).
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(d) As used in this section:
(1) "Activities" includes any presentation, assembly, lecture or other
event facilitated by a school or school district. "Activities" does not
include student presentations.
(2) "Educational materials" includes, but is not limited to, curriculum,
textbooks, reading materials, videos, digital materials, websites, online
applications and any other material given or provided to a student for
student instruction.
(3) "Parent" means a parent, legal guardian or custodian or any other
person who has authority to act on behalf of a child.
Sec. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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