As Reported by the Senate Education Committee

CORRECTED VERSION

124th General Assembly
Regular Session
2001-2002
Sub. H. B. No. 394


REPRESENTATIVES Damschroder, Barrett, Calvert, Carey, Collier, Flowers, Hoops, Jolivette, Key, Latell, Latta, Lendrum, Metzger, Niehaus, Otterman, Patton, Roman, Schmidt, Seaver, Seitz, Setzer, Webster, White, Young, Callender, Reinhard, Fedor, Reidelbach, Faber, Aslanides, Manning, McGregor, Wolpert, Hughes, G. Smith, Olman, Gilb, Clancy, Carmichael, Hagan, Willamowski, Grendell, Kearns, Core, Fessler, Widowfield, Husted, Williams, DeWine, Schaffer, Raga, Schneider, Schuring, Evans, Buehrer, Distel, Cirelli, Peterson, Coates, Ogg, Rhine, Krupinski, Allen

SENATOR Mumper



A BILL
To amend section 3313.601 of the Revised Code to1
permit the board of education of a school district2
to provide for a period of silence each school day3
for reflection or meditation upon a moral,4
philosophical, or patriotic theme; to prohibit5
boards of education, schools, or employees of the6
school district from requiring a pupil to7
participate in such a period of silence; and to8
prohibit the board of education of a school9
district from adopting certain policies pertaining10
to religion or religious expression.11


BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

       Section 1.  That section 3313.601 of the Revised Code be12
amended to read as follows:13

       Sec. 3313.601. The board of education of each school14
district may provide for a period of silence each school day for15
reflection or meditation upon a moral, philosophical, or patriotic16
theme. No board of education, school, or employee of the school17
district shall require a pupil to participate in a period of18
silence provided for pursuant to this section. No board of19
education shall prohibit a classroom teacher from providing in his20
the teacher's classroom reasonable periods of time for programs or21
meditation uponactivities of a moral, philosophical, or patriotic22
theme. No pupil shall be required to participate in such programs23
or meditationsactivities if they are contrary to the religious24
convictions of the pupil or histhe pupil's parents or guardians.25

       No board of education of a school district shall adopt any26
policy or rule respecting or promoting an establishment of27
religion or prohibiting any pupil from the free, individual, and28
voluntary exercise or expression of the pupil's religious beliefs29
in any primary or secondary school. The board of education may30
limit the exercise or expression of the pupil's religious beliefs31
as described in this section to lunch periods or other32
noninstructional time periods when pupils are free to associate.33

       Section 2.  That existing section 3313.601 of the Revised34
Code is hereby repealed.35