HB281 Summary

• Creates the Alabama Student Religious Liberties Act of 2014 to prohibit school districts from discriminating against students or parents based on religious viewpoint or religious expression in public schools.

• Requires school districts to treat students' voluntary religious expression on permissible subjects the same manner as secular expression and prohibits penalizing or rewarding students based on religious content in homework, artwork, and classroom assignments.

• Allows students to pray and engage in religious activities before, during, and after school to the same extent as nonreligious activities, including organizing prayer groups, religious clubs, and "see you at the pole" gatherings with equal access to school facilities.

• Permits students to wear clothing, accessories, and jewelry displaying religious messages or symbols in the same manner as other types of messages or symbols.

• Requires each school district to adopt a policy governing voluntary religious expression and applies beginning with the 2015-16 school year.