| 1 | 1 | | Session of 2025 |
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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE BILL No. 2141 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By Committee on Education |
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| 4 | 4 | | Requested by Representative Estes |
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| 5 | 5 | | 1-29 |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT concerning education; relating to school districts; requiring |
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| 7 | 7 | | policies allowing parents to object to educational materials and |
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| 8 | 8 | | activities that are not included in approved curriculum or standards or |
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| 9 | 9 | | that impair a parent's beliefs, values or principles. |
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| 10 | 10 | | Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Section 1. (a) The board of education of each school district shall |
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| 12 | 12 | | adopt a policy that allows a parent of a student enrolled in such school |
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| 13 | 13 | | district to object to any educational materials or activities on the basis that |
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| 14 | 14 | | such material or activity is not included in the approved district curriculum |
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| 15 | 15 | | or state educational standards or that such material or activity impairs the |
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| 16 | 16 | | parent's sincerely held beliefs, values or principles and to withdraw such |
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| 17 | 17 | | student from the class or educational program in which the material or |
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| 18 | 18 | | activity is being provided. Under such policy, no student's academic |
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| 19 | 19 | | records shall be adversely affected by withdrawal from a class or |
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| 20 | 20 | | educational program pursuant to such policy. Exemptions from required |
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| 21 | 21 | | instruction granted pursuant to such policy do not excuse a student from |
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| 22 | 22 | | the responsibility to complete comparable alternative assignments offered |
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| 23 | 23 | | to obtain credit in the course, the total semester hours required for |
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| 24 | 24 | | attendance or required courses for graduation. If an activity or resource |
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| 25 | 25 | | impairs a parent's belief or value, an agreed upon alternative activity or |
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| 26 | 26 | | resource shall be utilized. When appropriate, the student may remain in the |
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| 27 | 27 | | classroom, or a placement shall be provided to give the student |
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| 28 | 28 | | instructional support. Such policy shall include procedures for |
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| 29 | 29 | | implementation. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (b) As used in this section: |
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| 31 | 31 | | (1) "Activities" includes any presentation, assembly, lecture or other |
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| 32 | 32 | | event facilitated by a school or school district. "Activities" does not |
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| 33 | 33 | | include student presentations. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (2) "Educational materials" includes, but is not limited to, curriculum, |
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| 35 | 35 | | textbooks, reading materials, videos, digital materials, websites, online |
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| 36 | 36 | | applications and any other material given or provided to a student for |
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| 37 | 37 | | student instruction. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (3) "Parent" means a parent, legal guardian or custodian or any other |
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| 39 | 39 | | person who has authority to act on behalf of a child. |
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| 74 | 74 | | 35 HB 2141 2 |
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| 75 | 75 | | Sec. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its |
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| 76 | 76 | | publication in the statute book. |
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