Session of 2025
HOUSE BILL No. 2141
By Committee on Education
Requested by Representative Estes
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AN ACT concerning education; relating to school districts; requiring
policies allowing parents to object to educational materials and
activities that are not included in approved curriculum or standards or
that impair a parent's beliefs, values or principles.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. (a) The board of education of each school district shall
adopt a policy that allows a parent of a student enrolled in 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 that such material or activity 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. Under such policy, no student's academic
records shall be adversely affected by withdrawal from a class or
educational program pursuant to such policy. Exemptions from required
instruction granted pursuant to such policy 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. 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. Such policy shall include procedures for
implementation.
(b) 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.
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Sec. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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