FIRST REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 643
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR HUDSON.
2562S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To amend chapter 171, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to the Ten
Commandments in schools.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 171, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto 1
one new section, to be known as section 171.022, to read as 2
follows:3
171.022. 1. As used in this section, "Ten 1
Commandments" means the following text: 2
"The Ten Commandments 3
I AM the LORD thy God. 4
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 5
Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven images. 6
Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in 7
vain. 8
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9
Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be 10
long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 11
Thou shalt not kill. 12
Thou shalt not commit adultery. 13
Thou shalt not steal. 14
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. 15
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt 16
not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his 17 SB 643 2
maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy 18
neighbor's." 19
2. Beginning on January 1, 2026, each school 20
district's school board and charter school's governing board 21
shall display the Ten Comman dments in each building and 22
classroom under the school board's or governing board's 23
jurisdiction, subject to at least the following requirements: 24
(1) The nature of such display shall be determined by 25
each school board and governing board; 26
(2) Such display shall be composed of, at a minimum, a 27
poster or framed document that is at least eleven inches by 28
fourteen inches; and 29
(3) The text of the Ten Commandments shall be the 30
central focus of the poster or framed document and shall be 31
printed in a large, easily readable font. 32
3. (1) A school board or governing board may spend 33
the board's moneys or donated moneys to purchase the 34
displays. 35
(2) A school board or governing board may accept 36
donated displays. 37
(3) This section shall not be construed to require a 38
school board or governing board to spend the board's moneys 39
to purchase displays. 40
4. The state board of education may promulgate all 41
necessary rules and regulations for the administration of 42
this section. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term 43
is defined in section 536.010, that is created under the 44
authority delegated in this section shall become effective 45
only if it complies with and is subject to all of the 46
provisions of chapter 536 and, if appl icable, section 47
536.028. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and 48
if any of the powers vested with the general assembly 49 SB 643 3
pursuant to chapter 536 to review, to delay the effective 50
date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently 51
held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking 52
authority and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 53
2025, shall be invalid and void. 54