Public schools; electives on the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament and the New Testament. (SB1502)
Introduced By
Sen. Bill Carrico (R-Grayson) with support from co-patrons Sen. Dick Black (R-Leesburg), and Sen. Amanda Chase (R-Midlothian)
Progress
✓ |
Introduced |
✗ |
Passed Committee |
☐ |
Passed House |
✓ |
Passed Senate |
☐ |
Signed by Governor |
☐ |
Became Law |
Description
Public schools; electives on the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament and the New Testament. Requires the Board of Education to authorize local school boards to offer as an elective in grades nine through 12, with appropriate credits toward graduation, a course on the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament of the Bible or the New Testament of the Bible or a combined course on both. The bill requires the Board of Education to develop Standards of Learning and curriculum guidelines for such courses. The bill provides that the purpose of such courses is to introduce students to biblical content, characters, poetry, and narratives that are prerequisites to understanding contemporary society and culture, including literature, art, music, mores, oratory, and public policy. The bill prohibits students from being required to use a specific translation of a religious text when taking the courses and provides that such courses shall maintain religious neutrality and shall not endorse, favor, promote, disfavor, or show hostility toward any particular religion or nonreligious perspective. Read the Bill »
Outcome
History
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 01/08/2019 | Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/19 19100931D |
| 01/08/2019 | Referred to Committee on Education and Health |
| 01/16/2019 | Assigned Education sub: Public Education |
| 01/25/2019 | Impact statement from DPB (SB1502) |
| 01/31/2019 | Reported from Education and Health with amendment (8-Y 6-N 1-A) (see vote tally) |
| 02/01/2019 | Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally) |
| 02/04/2019 | Read second time |
| 02/04/2019 | Reading of amendment waived |
| 02/04/2019 | Committee amendment agreed to |
| 02/04/2019 | Engrossed by Senate as amended SB1502E |
| 02/04/2019 | Printed as engrossed 19100931D-E |
| 02/04/2019 | Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally) |
| 02/04/2019 | Passed Senate (22-Y 18-N) (see vote tally) |
| 02/06/2019 | Placed on Calendar |
| 02/06/2019 | Read first time |
| 02/06/2019 | Referred to Committee on Education |
| 02/08/2019 | Assigned Education sub: Subcommittee #2 |
| 02/08/2019 | Impact statement from DPB (SB1502E) |
| 02/13/2019 | Subcommittee recommends reporting (6-Y 4-N) |
| 02/13/2019 | Subcommittee recommends referring to Committee on Appropriations |
| 02/13/2019 | Reported from Education (13-Y 9-N) (see vote tally) |
| 02/13/2019 | Referred to Committee on Appropriations |
| 02/13/2019 | Assigned App. sub: Elementary & Secondary Education |
| 02/19/2019 | Left in Appropriations |
Comments
Separation of Church and State must be maintained in our schools. World Religions and Comparative Religions courses are already offered. Such courses would help students explore different world religions. Focusing only on one western (Christian) religion is not appropriate in our public schools. Such narrowly-focused studies should be offered at a church or other private site. As a retired public school teacher, a long-time Virginia resident, and someone who was exposed to/brought up with Christianity and Buddhism, I oppose this bill.
Separation of Church and State, please.. Bible classes have no place in public schools. I agree, this is the type of thing that is offered in churches and that is just fine. As a Virginia resident, I strongly oppose this bill.
I do not favor this. But at the least, this is not something that that General Assembly should be demanding schools do.
This bill clearly breaches the separation between church and state. It has no place in our laws and will most likely be vetoed by the governor. I had hoped that the days of pushing legislation like this through the legislature just to make points with political preachers were gone. Let them teach Sunday school, not invade our schools.