HOUSE BILL No. 2236
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
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 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).
(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. HOUSE BILL No. 2236—page 2
Sec. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
I hereby certify that the above BILL originated in the House,
and passed that body
HOUSE concurred in
SENATE amendments __________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House.
Chief Clerk of the House.
Passed the SENATE
as amended
President of the Senate.
Secretary of the Senate.
APPROVED ______________________________________________________________________________
Governor.