HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1963        FILED ON: 1/15/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 369

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Paul K. Frost

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act protecting the religious freedom of students.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Paul K. Frost

7th Worcester

1/15/2015

James J. Dwyer

30th Middlesex

1/20/2015

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

20th Middlesex

8/22/2019

Elizabeth A. Poirier

14th Bristol

8/22/2019

Keiko M. Orrall

12th Bristol

8/22/2019


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1963        FILED ON: 1/15/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 369

By Mr. Frost of Auburn, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 369) of Paul K. Frost and others for legislation to protect the rights of students to express religious viewpoints.  Education.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

_______________

 

An Act protecting the religious freedom of students.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Chapter 71 is hereby amended by inserting after Section 1B the following section:-

Section 1C. Notwithstanding any special or general law to the contrary, school districts beginning with the first school year after passage, shall adopt and implement a local policy that allows for a limited public forum and voluntary student expression of religious viewpoints at school events and graduation ceremonies, in class assignments, and in non-curricular school groups and activities. Districts shall treat such expression on an otherwise permissible subject in the same manner as the expression of a secular or other viewpoint and prohibits the district from discriminating against a student based on his or her expressed religious viewpoint. The policy must require the district to ensure that a student speaker does not engage in obscene or indecent speech and to provide a disclaimer that a student's speech is not endorsed or sponsored by the district.