H-0806.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 1230
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State of Washington 55th Legislature 1997 Regular Session
By Representatives Backlund, Johnson, Lambert, Carrell, Sherstad, D. Schmidt, Thompson, Boldt and Pennington
Read first time 01/17/97. Referred to Committee on Education.
AN ACT Relating to students' rights; adding a new section to chapter 28A.600 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature recognizes the right of free speech and freedom of religion as guaranteed through the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I, sections 5 and 11 of the Washington state Constitution and that these rights extend fully to students enrolled in the common schools of our state.
The legislature also recognizes that students may choose to exercise these rights, as protected under the law, in response to the challenges of academic pursuit. While the legislature upholds the rights of students to freely express their religious beliefs and right of free speech, it also holds firmly that it is not the role of education to solicit student responses that force students to reveal, analyze, or critique their religious beliefs.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.600 RCW to read as follows:
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution, and Article I, sections 5 and 11 of the Washington state Constitution guarantee that students retain their rights of free speech and free exercise of religion, notwithstanding the student's enrollment and attendance in a common school. These rights include, but are not limited to, the right of an individual student to freely express and incorporate the student's religious beliefs and opinions where relevant or appropriate in any and all class work, homework, evaluations or tests, extracurricular activities, or other activities under the sponsorship or auspices of the school district, without retribution, negative consequence, or penalty to the standing, evaluation, or privilege of the individual student.
This section is not intended to impose any limit on the exchange of ideas in the common schools of this state. However, no officer, employee, agent, or contractor of a school district may solicit, suggest, or prompt students, either directly or indirectly, to express their religious beliefs or opinions, recognized and protected by this statute, in class work, homework, evaluations or tests, extracurricular activities, or other activities under the auspices of the school district.
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