l9n/ Mississippi

2012 Regular Session

House Bill 638

Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act/Schoolchildren's Religious Liberties Act; create.

Did not become law. It stopped in the Senate's Education Committee on April 3, 2012. The 2012 session has ended.

What it does

The synopsis the Legislature published with the bill.

AN ACT TO BE KNOWN AS THE "RELIGIOUS VIEWPOINTS ANTIDISCRIMINATION ACT" OR "SCHOOLCHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS LIBERTIES ACT"; TO PROHIBIT LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS FROM DISCRIMINATING AGAINST STUDENTS BASED ON THEIR EXPRESSION OF RELIGIOUS VIEWPOINTS ON OTHERWISE PERMISSIBLE SUBJECTS; TO REQUIRE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO ADOPT A POLICY THAT ESTABLISHES A LIMITED PUBLIC FORUM FOR STUDENT SPEAKERS AT SCHOOL EVENTS AND TO REQUIRE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO PUBLISH A DISCLAIMER STATING THAT THE STUDENTS' VIEWS DO NOT REFLECT THOSE OF THE DISTRICT; TO CLARIFY THAT STUDENTS MAY EXPRESS THEIR BELIEFS ABOUT RELIGION IN HOMEWORK, ARTWORK AND OTHER ASSIGNMENTS; TO AUTHORIZE STUDENTS TO ORGANIZE PRAYER GROUPS, RELIGIOUS CLUBS AND OTHER RELIGIOUS GATHERINGS TO THE SAME EXTENT THAT STUDENTS ARE PERMITTED TO ORGANIZE OTHER NONCURRICULAR STUDENT ACTIVITIES AND GROUPS; TO REQUIRE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO ADOPT A POLICY REGARDING LIMITED PUBLIC FORUMS AND VOLUNTARY EXPRESSION OF RELIGIOUS VIEWPOINTS; TO PROVIDE A MODEL POLICY ON STUDENT EXPRESSION OF RELIGIOUS VIEWPOINTS AND STUDENT SPEAKERS WHICH SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY ADOPT; TO AMEND SECTION 37-13-4.1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, IN CONFORMITY TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT; TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 37-13-4, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH PROVIDES THAT TEACHERS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS MAY PERMIT THE VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION BY STUDENTS IN PRAYER, FOR PURPOSES OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 37-13-161, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH PROVIDES THAT LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS MAY ALLOW REFERENCES TO RELIGION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WHEN THE REFERENCES DO NOT CONSTITUTE AID TO ANY RELIGIOUS SECT OR A SECTARIAN PURPOSE, FOR PURPOSES OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Sponsors

Who carried the bill in each chamber, and who signed on. Each name leads to the member's page.

In the House of Representatives

20 co-sponsors

Randy P. Boyd, Chris Brown, Charles Busby, Gary Chism, Becky Currie, Bill Denny, Casey Eure, Andy Gipson, Hank Lott, Rita Martinson, Doug McLeod, John L. Moore, Nick Bain, Tom Miles, Alex Monsour, Lester Carpenter, Richard Bennett, Deborah Butler Dixon, Henry Zuber III, Bill Pigott

Its course

February 17 to April 3, 2012, on one scale. In the top row each mark is a day something happened; taller marks are busier days.

Each committee stop sits inside its chamber.

Every action7 actions on 7 days

In the House of RepresentativesFeb 17 to Mar 1426 days

EducationFeb 17 to Mar 214 days

In the SenateMar 14 to Apr 3 · stopped20 days

EducationMar 20 to Apr 3 · stopped14 days

Text

Each version as the Legislature printed it.

l9n doesn't hold this bill's text yet.

What happened

In l9n's words, one line for each step. Every action as the Legislature published it is below.

In the House of Representatives Feb 17 – Mar 14

  1. Feb 17Referred to the House committee on Education
  2. Mar 2Reported from committee in the House: title sufficient, do pass
  3. Mar 13Read the third time in the House
  4. Mar 14Passed the House

In the Senate Mar 15 – Apr 3

  1. Mar 15Sent to the Senate
  2. Mar 20Referred to the Senate committee on Education
  3. Apr 3Died in committee in the Senate
All 7 actions, as published
  1. Feb 17Referred To EducationHouse of Representatives
  2. Mar 2Title Suff Do PassHouse of Representatives
  3. Mar 13Read the Third TimeHouse of Representatives
  4. Mar 14PassedHouse of Representatives
  5. Mar 15Transmitted To SenateHouse of Representatives
  6. Mar 20Referred To EducationSenate
  7. Apr 3Died In CommitteeSenate