Bill > SB525

This bill allows school districts and public charter schools in Montana to adopt policies permitting paid or volunteer school chaplains to provide supports and services to students, with several key requirements. The policy must outline the specific supports chaplains can provide, mandate that school principals inform parents about chaplain availability, and require written parental consent before a student can interact with a chaplain. To be eligible, chaplains must be at least 18 years old, of good moral character, and pass the same background checks as other non-instructional school employees. The bill requires schools to publicly list chaplains and their religious affiliations on their websites, and notably allows schools to potentially replace school counselors with chaplains. Chaplains will need to be certified by the state superintendent of public instruction. The legislation is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and will be integrated into Title 20, Chapter 7, Part 13 of Montana's legal code. This bill represents a significant expansion of religious personnel's potential role in public school support services, potentially allowing religious leaders to provide counseling and other student support functions.

Education

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC4339