Bill > HB607

This bill amends Kentucky law to establish a detailed framework for providing moral instruction to students outside of school premises. The bill allows local school boards to permit students to be excused for up to one hour per week to attend voluntary moral instruction, with parental consent. Individuals or organizations wanting to provide moral instruction must submit a comprehensive request to the school board, including contact information, location details, transportation plans, and liability acknowledgments. The bill requires background checks for all individuals involved in providing or transporting students to moral instruction, including criminal history and child abuse/neglect checks. Students attending moral instruction will be counted in the school's average daily attendance and will not be penalized for missed schoolwork. For students not participating in moral instruction, schools must provide supervised alternative educational activities. The bill also explicitly prohibits school districts from discriminating against students based on their participation or non-participation in moral instruction. Additionally, the bill repeals several existing statutes related to moral instruction, effectively replacing them with this more comprehensive regulatory approach.