Senate committee approves bill allowing school chaplains, amid debate on training and church‑state concerns

The Senate Education and Career Development Committee voted 9–4 Wednesday to advance Senate Bill 523, a measure that would allow public and charter schools to add a chaplain as a volunteer or an employee, subject to local school‑board approval and background checks. Sponsors framed the bill as a local‑control option to expand supports for students, staff and families.

“Senate Bill 523 is a bill aimed to give administration another tool in their toolbox with the option to add an additional resource for the needs of students, teachers, staff, resource officers, administration, and parents,” sponsor Senator Stacy Donato said in opening testimony. The measure includes minimum education and counseling‑experience criteria for a school chaplain and requires criminal background checks consistent with other school volunteers.

Supporters — including the Indiana School Boards Association, the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents and several religious and chaplaincy groups — said chaplains would supplement, not replace, licensed school counselors and could provide an extra trusted adult on campus. Robert Thatcher, who chairs the board of the National School Chaplain Association, testified that chaplaincy programs nationally are widespread and said studies show positive outcomes on attendance and student supports. “Chaplaincy is not to replace counselors, but in fact, to bring additional support to school campuses,” Thatcher said.

Opponents raised constitutional and safety concerns. Jan Demeris Morris of the Indiana School Counselor Association warned that chaplains generally lack the specialized training school counselors receive and said the bill’s mandate that a chaplain disclose self‑harm or threats to counselors could interfere with required child‑abuse reporting and criminal‑investigation protocols. “Chaplains … would not possess the academic and professional credentials of a school counselor,” she said, adding that untrained responses to disclosures can jeopardize investigations and children’s well‑being.

Other critics — including the ACLU of Indiana, the Indiana Muslim Advocacy Network and the Indiana Urban Schools Association — said the proposal blurred church‑state lines because it limited the role to religious chaplains and could make religious minorities feel isolated. Chris Daley of the ACLU told the committee the program’s restriction to religious leaders could create constitutional problems and cited an earlier Texas example where only a handful of districts implemented a similar policy.

Several witnesses from faith communities, religious colleges and chaplaincy organizations urged stronger minimum training, suicide‑prevention certifications and clearer limits on confidential counseling. The Indiana School Counselor Association and other professional groups sought clearer rules on mandatory reporting, supervisory expectations and what qualifies as “counseling experience.” Testimony noted that school counselors commonly have state‑recognized training in suicide assessment and student‑confidentiality laws that chaplains do not necessarily possess.

Committee debate included procedural concerns and calls for additional safeguards. Senator Donato said the bill is intentionally local and voluntary and that parents must provide consent for non‑secular support. Senator Erin Yoder and others urged adding chaplains to child‑protection statutes and to require training comparable to other adults who work with children.

After questions and amendments, the committee approved the bill 9–4. Several senators explained votes during roll call: supporters cited local control and added student supports; opponents cited church‑state concerns, training gaps and mandatory‑reporting conflicts. The committee recorded a motion to recommit the bill to appropriations for consideration of fiscal and implementation details.

The bill’s next steps include committee technical work and the appropriations review specified in the committee action. The sponsor said she will work with stakeholders to refine training and reporting language as the measure moves forward.