"The Testing Your Faith Act" (HB 353) Summary

• Requires all state institutions of higher education to adopt policies that reasonably accommodate students' sincerely held religious beliefs and practices regarding examinations, academic requirements, and absences.

• Permits students to be absent for up to three days per academic semester for religious holidays or activities without academic penalty, provided written notice is given within 14 days of the course start date.

• Requires institutions to provide alternative accommodations (such as rescheduled exams) for students whose religious beliefs severely affect their ability to complete academic requirements, and instructors must accept the sincerity of such beliefs without question.

• Mandates that institutions post their accommodation policy and a nonexhaustive list of major religious holidays for the next two academic years on their websites, and include policy information in each course syllabus.

• Requires the chancellor of higher education to provide each institution with a list of major religious holidays for the next two academic years at the beginning of each academic year; institutions may adopt the chancellor's list in whole or select specific holidays.