Requires school districts to establish a policy allowing students to be excused from class to receive religious or moral instruction off school property

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Requires school districts to establish a policy allowing students to be excused from class to receive religious or moral instruction off school property

The following summaries of this bill are available: Print All Summaries Introduced Print SB 1165 - This act requires the school board of each school district to establish a policy authorizing students to be excused from class to attend a course in religious or moral instruction taught by an independent entity off school property.

What This Bill Does

• The following summaries of this bill are available: Print All Summaries Introduced Print SB 1165 - This act requires the school board of each school district to establish a policy authorizing students to be excused from class to attend a course in religious or moral instruction taught by an independent entity off school property.
• Such instruction is defined in the act as a "released time course".
• The policy shall provide that students may be excused for up to three class periods per week or a maximum of 125 class periods per school year.
• The student's parent or legal guardian shall provide written consent prior to the student's participation in a released time course.

Limits and Unknowns

• This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Official Summary Text

The following summaries of this bill are available:

Print All Summaries

Introduced

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SB 1165 - This act requires the school board of each school district to establish a policy authorizing students to be excused from class to attend a course in religious or moral instruction taught by an independent entity off school property. Such instruction is defined in the act as a "released time course".

The policy shall provide that students may be excused for up to three class periods per week or a maximum of 125 class periods per school year. The student's parent or legal guardian shall provide written consent prior to the student's participation in a released time course. No school district funds, except minimal administrative costs, shall be used, and no school personnel, equipment, or resources shall be involved in providing the instruction. The independent entity offering a released time course shall maintain attendance records and make them available to the school district and its board. Transportation to and from the instruction site shall be the responsibility of the independent entity, the student, or the student's parent or legal guardian. The independent entity or the student's parent or legal guardian shall indemnify and hold the school district harmless regarding any liability arising from student conduct that does not occur on school property under the district's control or supervision, and shall maintain adequate insurance for this purpose. The student shall be responsible for any missed school work. The school district superintendent, principal, or their designees shall have discretion over the scheduling and timing of released time courses, ensuring students are not excused during courses in English language arts, mathematics, science, or U.S. history.

The school district, its school board, and the state shall not be liable for students participating in released time courses when the students are not under the district's control or supervision.

For purposes of calculating average daily attendance and establishing compliance with the compulsory attendance law, a student attending a released time course shall be considered in attendance in the school district, and the time shall be counted as part of the school day.

The school board shall award elective credit for work completed in a released time course, substantiated by a transcript from the independent entity providing the course. The evaluation of the course for credit should be neutral and secular, considering factors including classroom instruction time, course syllabus, assessment methods, and instructor qualifications.

The provisions of the act shall not apply to charter schools or to virtual schools.

This act is identical to SB 698 (2025) and similar to HB 2157 (2026) and HB 1393 (2025).
OLIVIA SHANNON

Current Bill Text

SECOND REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 1165
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR MOON.
5659S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To amend chapter 162, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to released time courses
in public schools.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 162, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto 1
one new section, to be known as section 162.059, to read as 2
follows:3
162.059. 1. As used in this section, "released time 1
course" means a period of time during which a student is 2
excused from school to attend a course in religious or moral 3
instruction taught by an independent entity off school 4
property. 5
2. The school board of each school district shall 6
adopt a policy that excuses a student from school to attend 7
a released time course for no more than three class periods 8
per week or a maximum of one hundred twenty-five class 9
periods per school year, provided that: 10
(1) The student's parent or legal guardian provides 11
written consent prior to the student's participation in the 12
released time course; 13
(2) No school district funds other than de minimis 14
administrative costs are expended, and no school district 15
personnel, equipment, or resources are involved in providing 16
the instruction; 17
SB 1165 2
(3) The independent entity maintains attendance 18
records and makes them available to the school district and 19
its school board; 20
(4) Any transportation provided to and from the place 21
of instruction is the sole responsibility of the independent 22
entity, the student, or the student's parent or legal 23
guardian; 24
(5) The independent entity or the student's parent or 25
legal guardian indemnifies the school district and holds it 26
harmless with regard to any liability arising from conduct 27
that does not occur on school property under the control or 28
supervision of the school district, and the independent 29
entity or parent or legal guardian shall maintain adequate 30
insurance for such purpose; 31
(6) The student assumes responsibility for any missed 32
school work; and 33
(7) The school district superintendent, the principal 34
of the school in which the student is enrolled, or their 35
designees shall have reasonable discretion over the 36
scheduling and timing of released time courses, provided 37
that the student shall not be excused to participate in a 38
released time course during any class in which the subject 39
matter being taught is English language arts, mathematics, 40
science, or United States history. 41
3. The school district, its board of education, and 42
the state shall not be liable for a student who participates 43
in a released time course when the student is not under the 44
control or supervision of the school district. 45
4. For purposes of calculating a school district's 46
average daily attendance, as such term is defined in section 47
163.011, and establishing compliance with the provisions of 48
section 167.031, a student who attends a released time 49
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course shall be considered in attendance in the school 50
district, and the time shall be calculated as part of the 51
school day. 52
5. The school board of a school district shall award a 53
student credit for work completed in a released time course 54
that is substantiated by a transcript from the independent 55
entity providing the course. A student shall be awarded 56
elective credit for the completion of each released time 57
course. To determine whether elective credit may be awarded 58
as provided for in this subsection, the school board shall 59
evaluate the course in a neutral and secular manner that 60
does not involve any test for religious content or 61
denominational affiliation. For purposes of this 62
subsection, the secular criteria used to evaluate a released 63
time course may include: 64
(1) The amount of classroom instruction time; 65
(2) The course syllabus, which reflects the course 66
requirements and any materials used in the course; 67
(3) Methods of assessment used in the course; and 68
(4) The qualifications of the course instructor. 69
6. The provisions of this section shall not apply to 70
charter schools established pursuant to the provisions of 71
sections 160.400 to 160.425 or to virtual schools or virtual 72
providers authorized pursuant to the provisions of section 73
161.670. 74
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