House Education Policy panel adopts substitute for bill allowing out-of-class religious study with parental consent

The House Education Policy Committee on an unspecified date adopted a substitute to House Bill 231 that would permit religious study outside regular class time if approved by the local school board and with parental consent.

Representative Ingram, who presented the measure, said the substitute removes a specific reference to Christianity so that the provision would apply to any religion and that the activity “has to go before the school or after school time” rather than occurring in the classroom. Ingram also said the activity would need approval by the school board “within 90 days after it goes into law” and that participants must have parent consent.

Committee members pressed for clarification on the substitute’s interaction with existing state law about required school practices and potential funding consequences. Representative Drummond asked about the effect of an intentional refusal and whether penalties would apply to individual staff or to entire schools. Ingram said the existing law on the pledge is enforced by the state board or superintendent and described a clawback mechanism, saying in the discussion that it would be a “5% of the clawback” of state funding and that a funding reduction could occur “after the second year” if a school blatantly disregards the law. Other members expressed concern that withholding funds would effectively penalize students at a whole-school level.

The committee adopted the substitute by voice vote after a motion from Representative Pascal and a second from Representative Woods. The committee then gave the bill a favorable report as substituted on a motion by Representative DuBose and a second by Representative Pascal.