HB1015: relative to school district policies regarding objectionable material.

HB 1015 - AS INTRODUCED

2022 SESSION

22-2340

05/04

HOUSE BILL 1015

AN ACT relative to school district policies regarding objectionable material.

SPONSORS: Rep. Cordelli, Carr. 4; Rep. Osborne, Rock. 4; Rep. Moffett, Merr. 9; Rep. Rice, Hills. 37; Rep. Notter, Hills. 21; Rep. Ammon, Hills. 40; Rep. Hobson, Rock. 35; Rep. Gould, Hills. 7; Sen. Reagan, Dist 17; Sen. Avard, Dist 12

COMMITTEE: Education

ANALYSIS

This bill revises the requirements for school district policies providing an alternative to specific course material based on a parent or legal guardian's determination that the material is objectionable.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

22-2340

05/04

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Two

AN ACT relative to school district policies regarding objectionable material.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 School District Policy Allowing an Exception to Specific Course Material Based on Parent's or Legal Guardian's Determination That the Material is Objectionable. RSA 186:11, IX-c is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:

IX-c. Require School Districts to Adopt a Policy Allowing an Exception to Specific Course Material Based on a Parent's or Legal Guardian's Determination That the Material is Objectionable. Such policy shall require the school district or classroom teacher to provide parents and legal guardians not less than 2 weeks advance notice of curriculum course material to be used in classroom instruction and address the method of delivering notification to a parent or legal guardian. The policy shall also include a provision requiring the parent or legal guardian to notify the school principal or designee in writing of the specific material to which they object and a provision requiring an alternative agreed upon by the school district and the parent, at the parent's expense, sufficient to enable the child to meet state requirements for education in the particular subject area. The name of the parent or legal guardian and any specific reasons disclosed to school officials for the objection to the material shall not be public information and shall be excluded from access under RSA 91-A. A student shall not be granted an alternative to the entire content of a specific course or program in one of the core knowledge areas pursuant to RSA 193-E:2-a but shall be granted an agreed upon alternative to a portion of a course or program lesson that violates the student’s convictions.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.