(a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Religious Rights at Public Schools Act of 2025”.
(b) At the beginning of each school year, each public school district and open-enrollment public charter school shall provide each enrolled student and individual employed by the public school district or open-enrollment public charter school with a copy of Acts 2025, No. 400, by electronic means or by placement in a handbook, policy manual, or other resource designed to inform students, employees, or parents about policies, procedures, or rights.
(c) Under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and United States Supreme Court case law interpreting the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, a student enrolled in a public school district or an open-enrollment public charter school shall retain broad religious freedom, which includes without limitation the right to:(1) Pray silently or aloud, individually or in groups, at any time when the student is permitted to speak freely and engage in discussions of the student's own choosing;(2) Pray by assembling on the property of the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in the same manner that students are allowed to speak and assemble on the property of the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school for other activities;(3) Promote legal religious activities on the property of the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in the same manner that other activities are promoted;(4) Display, print, recite, or discuss religious figures, religious texts, and religious beliefs in the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school assignments in which there is student discretion in choosing topics or people of interest;(5) Give a Bible or other religious text to any other person at the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in the same manner that the student is allowed to give away other books or texts;(6) Individually or in groups conduct religious observances such as speaking, singing, reading, or praying at times when students are free to voluntarily converse and interact;(7) Form and participate in religious clubs, groups, or associations in the same manner that students form and participate in other clubs, groups, or associations;(8) Invite and host members of the clergy or other religious leaders to the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in the same manner that other persons who are not enrolled in the public school district or open-enrollment public charter school are allowed to be present;(9) Express a religious viewpoint in the same manner as other viewpoints may be expressed in the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school academic assignments, activities, speech, or other expressions;(10) Pray silently during any moment of silence observed during the school day or at the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school activities;(11) Display and discuss the motto of the United States at the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school;(12) Read, discuss, and post documents of historical significance that are of a religious nature or contain religious quotes or references;(13) Have a Bible or other religious text at the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in the same manner that the student is allowed to have other books or texts at the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school; and(14) Read a Bible or other religious text at the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in the same manner that the student is allowed to read other books or texts at the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school.
(1) Pray silently or aloud, individually or in groups, at any time when the student is permitted to speak freely and engage in discussions of the student's own choosing;
(2) Pray by assembling on the property of the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in the same manner that students are allowed to speak and assemble on the property of the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school for other activities;
(3) Promote legal religious activities on the property of the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in the same manner that other activities are promoted;
(4) Display, print, recite, or discuss religious figures, religious texts, and religious beliefs in the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school assignments in which there is student discretion in choosing topics or people of interest;
(5) Give a Bible or other religious text to any other person at the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in the same manner that the student is allowed to give away other books or texts;
(6) Individually or in groups conduct religious observances such as speaking, singing, reading, or praying at times when students are free to voluntarily converse and interact;
(7) Form and participate in religious clubs, groups, or associations in the same manner that students form and participate in other clubs, groups, or associations;
(8) Invite and host members of the clergy or other religious leaders to the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in the same manner that other persons who are not enrolled in the public school district or open-enrollment public charter school are allowed to be present;
(9) Express a religious viewpoint in the same manner as other viewpoints may be expressed in the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school academic assignments, activities, speech, or other expressions;
(10) Pray silently during any moment of silence observed during the school day or at the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school activities;
(11) Display and discuss the motto of the United States at the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school;
(12) Read, discuss, and post documents of historical significance that are of a religious nature or contain religious quotes or references;
(13) Have a Bible or other religious text at the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in the same manner that the student is allowed to have other books or texts at the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school; and
(14) Read a Bible or other religious text at the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in the same manner that the student is allowed to read other books or texts at the student's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school.
(d) Under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and United States Supreme Court case law interpreting the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, an individual employed by a public school district or an open-enrollment public charter school shall retain broad religious freedom, which includes without limitation the right to:(1) Pray silently during any moment of silence observed during the school day or at the individual's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school activities;(2) Display and discuss the motto of the United States at the individual's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school;(3) Read, discuss, and post documents of historical significance that are of a religious nature or contain religious quotes or references;(4) Have a Bible or other religious text at the individual's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in the same manner that the individual is allowed to have other books or texts at the individual's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school; and(5) Read a Bible or other religious text at the individual's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in the same manner that the individual is allowed to read other books or texts at the individual's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school.
(1) Pray silently during any moment of silence observed during the school day or at the individual's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school activities;
(2) Display and discuss the motto of the United States at the individual's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school;
(3) Read, discuss, and post documents of historical significance that are of a religious nature or contain religious quotes or references;
(4) Have a Bible or other religious text at the individual's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in the same manner that the individual is allowed to have other books or texts at the individual's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school; and
(5) Read a Bible or other religious text at the individual's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in the same manner that the individual is allowed to read other books or texts at the individual's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school.
(e) A public school district and an open-enrollment public charter school may:(1) Have Bibles and other religious texts in public school libraries, classrooms, and other places where books or texts are available to public school district or open-enrollment public charter school students or individuals employed by the public school district or open-enrollment public charter school; and(2) Offer an academic study of the Bible course as provided by § 6-16-145.
(1) Have Bibles and other religious texts in public school libraries, classrooms, and other places where books or texts are available to public school district or open-enrollment public charter school students or individuals employed by the public school district or open-enrollment public charter school; and
(2) Offer an academic study of the Bible course as provided by § 6-16-145.