Senate committee hears hours of testimony on bill to allow weekly off‑campus religious instruction for public school students

Senator Lauren Lippincott, sponsor of Legislative Bill 550, told the Education Committee she introduced the bill to give parents a formal option for weekly, released‑time religious instruction (RTRI) during the school day and to require school districts to adopt policies allowing it.

Lippincott said the program would be off campus, require written parental consent, use no school district funds and be limited to one class period per week. “This bill would be at no cost, 0, to the school district,” she told the committee, and she cited a 1952 U.S. Supreme Court decision as the controlling precedent for constitutionality.

Proponents — including representatives of Lifewise Academy, the Nebraska Family Alliance, faith‑based youth groups and public school parents and officials — said RTRI programs already operate in other states, that some Nebraska families had asked for access, and that programs had shown improved attendance and reduced disciplinary incidents in outside studies presented to the committee.

Jesse Bowinkle of Lifewise Academy said Lifewise operates programs in multiple states and…