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SF 280

A bill for an act relating to students who attend a course in religious instruction that is provided by a private organization, including by modifying provisions related to compulsory education and chronic absenteeism and allowing school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to adopt policies related to awarding academic credit for the completion of a course in religious instruction.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jesse Green

The bill allows districts to grant academic credit for private religious instruction courses if they meet standards on hours, assessment, instructor qualifications, and syllabus, w

Subcommittee recommends passage.
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Bill Summary · SF 280

Summary of SF 280 (Introduced Feb. 12, 2025)

Overview

SF 280 would permit school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to adopt policies that award academic credit for completing a course in religious instruction offered by a private organization, provided the course is conducted in accordance with the bill’s provisions. The measure includes protections for helpful oversight of how such courses are treated within state education standards, plus enforcement provisions for violations.

What the bill would do

  • Allow districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to adopt policies to grant academic credit for completing a religious instruction course provided by a private organization, as long as the course complies with the bill.
  • Establish prohibitions and requirements for schools using those policies, including:
    • Prohibiting the school from counting the religious content of the course when determining if the course meets the state education program requirement tied to high school standards (Code 256.11(5)).
    • Requiring the school to consider:
    • The number of hours of classroom instruction the student received for the course.
    • The methods of assessment used in the course.
    • The qualifications of the instructor who provided the course.
    • Requiring a review of the course syllabus when determining whether the course meets the education program requirement for any unit under Code 256.11(5).

Enforcement and remedies

  • The bill includes a civil action mechanism: if a school district violates the bill’s provisions, a child, or the child’s parent/guardian/legal custodian, may bring an action for injunctive relief and actual damages.
  • If the child or guardian/legal custodian prevails, the court must award reasonable court costs and attorney fees to the prevailing party.

Who would be affected

  • Students who take private religious instruction courses (as offered by a private organization) and seek academic credit for those courses.
  • School districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools that may adopt credit-awarding policies for such courses.
  • Private organizations offering religious instruction seeking potential avenues for recognized credit through public schools.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Introduced: February 12, 2025.
  • Status: Subcommittee recommends passage.
  • Legislative actions:
    • Subcommittee meeting scheduled/held around February 27, 2025.
    • Subcommittee vote to recommend passage on March 3, 2025.
  • Sponsor: GREEN (primary).

Key considerations

  • The bill seeks to balance credit recognition with alignment to state education standards and accountability for course quality (hours, assessments, instructor qualifications, and syllabus).
  • It creates a pathway for formal credit while prohibiting use of religious content as a factor in meeting required educational standards.
  • Potential impacts include administrative processes for districts implementing policies and potential legal exposure if policies are not properly followed.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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