Proposal preserves freedom of choice and religion, honors nation’s constitutional heritage NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood, has introduced the Protecting Religious Liberty and Expression in Public Schools Act to establish a voluntary prayer and Bible or religious text reading period in Tennessee public schools. House Bill 1491 would also require public schools, […]
Proposal preserves freedom of choice and religion, honors nation’s constitutional heritage
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood, has introduced the Protecting Religious Liberty and Expression in Public Schools Act to establish a voluntary prayer and Bible or religious text reading period in Tennessee public schools.
House Bill 1491 would also require public schools, including charter schools, to teach parts of the Bible to Tennessee students as literature in a historical context. Age-appropriate instruction would include the history of Israel, stories and ethical teachings from the Old and New Testaments, the life of Jesus, early Christian church history, and the Bible’s impact on Western civilization.
“For more than 150 years, prayer filled classrooms and hallways of public schools across America,” said Bulso. “This legislation preserves students’ freedom of expression and ensures they learn about the Bible’s significant impact on the United States and the West, without imposing religious practices or beliefs. The Volunteer State is a beacon of liberty, and this common-sense proposal further protects Tennesseans of all faiths from burdensome restrictions.”
Current Tennessee law provides for a one-minute moment of silence in which students may pray. Bulso’s proposal would implement time for students and staff to participate in silent or vocal group prayer and reading of the Bible or another religious text as protected by the First Amendment. Students would be required to provide a signed consent form from a parent or guardian to participate. Prayers or text readings could not be broadcast over a public address system, and the period could not serve as a substitute for instructional time.
The legislation protects any student who does not opt in by ensuring prayer and text reading are out of earshot. The period, which may take place before school hours, would be in classrooms or other areas where every person present has obtained signed permission from a parent or guardian.
Bible instruction would be required to comply with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and not be taught as religious dogma or to coerce beliefs. While parents must provide permission for their child to participate in the period of prayer or religious text reading, they would request an exemption if they choose to opt their child out of the Bible-related curriculum.
House Bill 1491 instructs the Tennessee Attorney General to provide school districts with model consent forms and advice on best methods.
Public prayer was standard practice in schools in Tennessee and across the nation before the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1962 decision in Engel v. Vitale, which prohibited school-sponsored prayer. A recent report from the Pew Research Center revealed 69% of Tennesseans favor prayer in public schools.
The Volunteer State consistently ranks among the best in the nation for protecting the religious liberties of residents.
The second session of the 114th General Assembly is scheduled to convene at noon on Jan. 13.
State Rep. Gino Bulso represents District 61 in the Tennessee House of Representatives, which includes part of Williamson County.