Bill > HB1232

This bill mandates that public schools, including charter schools, teach the Bible as literature from kindergarten through 12th grade, covering topics like the history of Israel, moral teachings of the Old and New Testaments, the life of Jesus, the early Christian church, and the Bible's influence on Western civilization, while explicitly prohibiting teaching it as religious dogma or coercing belief, and allowing students to be excused upon parental request. It also prohibits any governmental entity, which includes state agencies, political subdivisions, and public schools, from denying benefits to individuals based on Article 1, Section 6 of the Indiana Constitution, the separation of church and state doctrine, or the establishment clause, which are legal principles designed to prevent government endorsement of religion, with certain exceptions for court orders or established legal precedents. Furthermore, the bill allows individuals negatively impacted by a violation to sue the governmental entity, and permits a prevailing plaintiff in such a suit, or a prevailing party when a governmental entity initiates a lawsuit related to these issues, to recover court costs and reasonable attorney's fees, with the state covering these costs if the Attorney General defends a public school in a Bible instruction lawsuit.

Education

https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2026/bills/house/1232/details