An act TO CREATE THE RELEASED TIME EDUCATION ACT, the official text

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.

1 State of Arkansas                    A Bill
2 95th General Assembly

3 Regular Session, 2025                                         HOUSE BILL 1139

4

5 By: Representative B. McKenzie

6 By: Senator J. Bryant

7

8                                 For An Act To Be Entitled

9   AN ACT TO CREATE THE RELEASED TIME EDUCATION ACT; AND

10  FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

11

12

13                                     Subtitle

14                       TO CREATE THE RELEASED TIME EDUCATION

15                       ACT.

16

17 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

18

19  SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 18, Subchapter 2, is amended

20 to add an additional section to read as follows:

21  6-18-237. Released Time Education Act.

22  (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Released Time

23 Education Act".

24  (b) As used in this section:

25  (1) "Released time course" means a course in religious moral

26 instruction that is taught by an independent entity for which a student is

27 excused from school to attend; and

28  (2) "School" means:

29                       (A) A public school district; or

30                       (B) An open-enrollment public charter school.

31  (c)(1) A school, upon request of the parent, legal guardian, or person

32 standing in loco parentis to an enrolled student, shall excuse the student

33 from school to attend a released time course.

34  (2) A student under subdivision (c)(1) of this section shall be

35 excused from school to attend the released time course for at least one (1)

36 hour each week but not more than five (5) hours each week.

    *TNL024*                                                    01/15/2025 8:32:00 AM TNL024