HB 487

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to direct that no school shall offer any classroom instruction, discussion, or instructional materials that promote bigotry, revisionist history, or critical social justice; provide that nothing in the section shall be interpreted to prohibit academic instruction on the historical existence of bigotry or revisionist views of history or to regulate the conduct or speech of students; provide that a teacher who chooses to discuss a current topic shall strive to explore the topic from diverse and contending perspectives; prohibit schools from awarding credit for designated political activities; prohibit schools from accepting private funds for curriculum development or choice of curricula or trainings; set forth the administrative procedures for specific violations; create a cause of action for students and parents that have exhausted the administrative remedies; waive civil immunity; provide for rewarding of costs and fees when a plaintiff is successful; establish a fine between $5,000 and $10,000 for frivolous lawsuits and permit the school district to recover costs and fees; provide that the Attorney General may bring an action to enforce this Act; require specific written notice of administrative and legal rights to students and parents; amend KRS 160.345 to require superintendents to determine curricula, textbooks, instructional materials, and student support services; require the determination of the superintendent to be consistent with this Act; require curriculum adopted to be accessible to parents and guardians of students through the Kentucky Department of Education's student information system; amend KRS 7.410 to require the Office of Education Accountability to conduct an annual digital survey of transparency and compliance and report designated findings to the specified legislative and executive entities; create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to designate mandatory historical topics; create a new section of KRS Chapter 161 to provide that the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) shall discontinue approval of any teacher preparation program that promotes bigotry or revisionist history; require EPSB to promulgate administrative regulations defining procedures to report teacher preparation programs that violate the new requirements; establish minimum requirements for the procedures; require EPSB to regularly audit programs and investigate all credible reports of violations; waive civil immunity for claims against EPSB for failing to discontinue a program in accordance with the law or a college or university that violates the new requirements; provide that the Act shall be severable; EMERGENCY.