Bill > S0271

This bill aims to protect political expression and promote civil rights in Vermont's educational institutions by requiring the Agency of Education to develop and issue guidance and training for school districts to help them distinguish between protected political speech and unlawful harassment of protected classes, ensuring that enforcement of civil rights aligns with constitutional standards and that staff have the resources to evaluate the context and intent of speech, the difference between targeted harassment and generalized political critique, and the risk of chilling student expression. It also expands the membership of the Harassment, Hazing, and Bullying Prevention Advisory Council to include a broader range of stakeholders, including civil liberties experts, community leaders from Jewish and Palestinian communities, educators, administrators, and legal scholars, to better address concerns about vague definitions of antisemitism that could silence critical political discourse. Furthermore, the bill mandates the Agency of Education to develop a curriculum for public elementary and secondary schools that teaches students about the protections offered by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Chapter I, Article 13 of the Vermont Constitution, enabling them to understand the difference between political advocacy and bias-based harassment, with this curriculum to be implemented by the 2027-2028 school year.

Education

https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/S.271