HB1626 Summary

• State Board of Education shall allow public schools or school districts to offer an elective academic study of the Bible course that is nonsectarian and nonreligious, focusing on the Bible's influence on literature, art, music, culture, and politics.

• Course curriculum must meet academic rigor standards of other elective courses and comply with Arkansas and United States Constitutions.

• Course must be taught objectively and nondevotionally without attempting to indoctrinate students on the truth or falsity of biblical materials, and may not teach religious doctrine or sectarian interpretations.

• Teachers assigned to the course must be state-licensed and cannot be selected based on religious tests, professions of faith, religious affiliations, or specific beliefs about the Bible.

• Department of Education must identify, develop, and approve a Bible course for high school credit by the 2019-2020 school year meeting the specified requirements.