FIRST REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 698
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR MOON.
2771S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To amend chapter 162, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to released time courses
in public schools.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 162, RSMo, is amended by adding t hereto 1
one new section, to be known as section 162.059, to read as 2
follows:3
162.059. 1. As used in this section, "released time 1
course" means a period of time during which a student is 2
excused from school to attend a course in religious or moral 3
instruction taught by an independent entity off school 4
property. 5
2. The school board of each school district shall 6
adopt a policy that excuses a student from school to attend 7
a released time course for no more than three class periods 8
per week or a maximum of one hundred twenty -five class 9
periods per school year, provided that: 10
(1) The student's parent or legal guardian provides 11
written consent prior to the student's participation in the 12
released time course; 13
(2) No school district funds other than de minimis 14
administrative costs are expended, and no school district 15
personnel, equipment, or resources are involved in providing 16
the instruction; 17 SB 698 2
(3) The independent entity maintains attendance 18
records and makes them available to the school district and 19
its school board; 20
(4) Any transportation provided to and from the place 21
of instruction is the sole responsibility of the independent 22
entity, the student, or the student's parent or legal 23
guardian; 24
(5) The independent entity or the student's parent or 25
legal guardian indemnifies the school district and holds it 26
harmless with regard to any liability arising from conduct 27
that does not occur on school property under the control or 28
supervision of the school district, and the independent 29
entity or parent or legal guardian shall maintain adequate 30
insurance for such purpose; 31
(6) The student assumes responsibility for any missed 32
school work; and 33
(7) The school district superintendent, the principal 34
of the school in which the student is enrolled, or their 35
designees shall have reasonable discretion over the 36
scheduling and timing of released time courses, provided 37
that the student shall not be excused to participate in a 38
released time course during any cla ss in which the subject 39
matter being taught is English language arts, mathematics, 40
science, or United States history. 41
3. The school district, its board of education, and 42
the state shall not be liable for a student who participates 43
in a released time course when the student is not under the 44
control or supervision of the school district. 45
4. For purposes of calculating a school district's 46
average daily attendance, as such term is defined in section 47
163.011, and establishing compliance with t he provisions of 48
section 167.031, a student who attends a released time 49 SB 698 3
course shall be considered in attendance in the school 50
district, and the time shall be calculated as part of the 51
school day. 52
5. The school board of a school district shall aw ard a 53
student credit for work completed in a released time course 54
that is substantiated by a transcript from the independent 55
entity providing the course. A student shall be awarded 56
elective credit for the completion of each released time 57
course. To determine whether elective credit may be awarded 58
as provided for in this subsection, the school board shall 59
evaluate the course in a neutral and secular manner that 60
does not involve any test for religious content or 61
denominational affiliation. For purposes of this 62
subsection, the secular criteria used to evaluate a released 63
time course may include: 64
(1) The amount of classroom instruction time; 65
(2) The course syllabus, which reflects the course 66
requirements and any materials used in the c ourse; 67
(3) Methods of assessment used in the course; and 68
(4) The qualifications of the course instructor. 69
6. The provisions of this section shall not apply to 70
charter schools established pursuant to the provisions of 71
sections 160.400 to 160.425 or to virtual schools or virtual 72
providers authorized pursuant to the provisions of section 73
161.670. 74