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158.181 Legislative findings.

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Page 1 of 1 158.181 Legislative findings. (1) The General Assembly finds the following: (a) Judicial decisions concerning religion, free speech, and public education are widely misunderstood and misapplied; (b) Confusion surrounding these decisions has caused some to be less accommodating of the religious liberty and free speech rights of students than <br>permitted under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution; (c) Confusion surrounding these decisions has resulted in needless conflicts and litigation; (d) The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that the establishment clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution requires that <br>public schools neither advance or inhibit religion. Public schools should be <br>neutral in matters of faith and should treat religion with fairness and respect; (e) Neutrality to religion does not require hostility to religion. The establishment clause does not prohibit reasonable accommodation of religion, nor does the <br>clause prohibit appropriate teaching about religion; (f) Accommodation of religion is required by the free speech and free exercise clauses of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution; and (g) Setting forth the religious liberty rights of students in a statute would assist students and parents in the enforcement of the religious liberty rights of <br>students and would provide impetus to efforts in public schools to <br>accommodate religious belief in feasible cases. (2) The purpose of KRS 158.181 to 158.187 is to create a safe harbor for schools desiring to avoid litigation and to allow the free speech and religious liberty rights <br>of students to the extent permissible under the establishment clause. Effective: July 15, 1998 <br>History: Created 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 294, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1998.