Senate Bill 2789

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-13-161, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO TEACH RELIGION, HEBREW SCRIPTURES AND THE BIBLE IN HISTORY AND ETHICS COURSES DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 37-13-161, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

37-13-161. (1) (a) In addition to the curriculum otherwise required by law or the State Board of Education to be taught in the public schools of this state, the school board of each school district shall require a secular program on religion and the Bible to be taught in high school ethics and history classes during the month of April. The program of education must include an objective study of religion and an objective study of the Bible, including, but not limited to: a course on the Hebrew Scriptures and Old Testament of the Bible; a course on the New Testament of the Bible; and a course that is a combined study of the Hebrew Scriptures and the Old and New Testament of the Bible. A student enrolled in an ethics or history class that teaches this program may not be required to use a specific translation of the Hebrew Scriptures or Bible as the sole text of the course.

(b) A program under this section must be taught in ethics and history classes in Grades 9 through 12 and must be compliant with all state and federal laws, regulations and policies, judicial opinions, and guidelines requiring public schools to maintain religious neutrality and to accommodate the diverse religious views, traditions and perspectives of all students in the school. A course may not endorse, favor or disfavor, promote or show hostility toward a particular religion, religious perspective or nonreligious faith, and all instruction must comply with the prohibition on doctrinal, sectarian or denominational teaching contained in Section 37-13-3.

(2) Nothing in this * * * ~~code~~ section shall be construed to prevent any local school board, in its discretion, from allowing references to religion or references to or the use of religious literature, history, art, music or other things having a religious significance in courses other than those required to be taught in the public schools of such school district under subsection (1) of this section, when such references or uses do not constitute aid to any religious sect or sectarian purpose and when such references or uses are incidental to or illustrative of matters properly included in the course of study.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2021.