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Read. Follow. Verify.Missouri House Bill 2157 requires school districts to excuse students for religious instruction and award academic credit
Last action · May 15, 2026: Referred: Emerging Issues(H)Sponsors: Josh Hurlbert and 1 other
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What This Bill Would Do
Missouri school districts must adopt policies allowing parents to request that students be excused from school for one to five hours per week to attend independent s. Districts are required to award academic credit for these courses using secular criteria, and time spent attending them counts toward state funding and attendance calculations.
Parents gain the right to pull students from public school for religious instruction without losing state attendance standing, while districts must evaluate and award academic credit for off-site religious courses based strictly on secular standards.
- Released-time programs allow public school students to leave school grounds during the school day to attend religious or moral instruction provided by independent organizations. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
School districts
School districts must adopt new policies regarding released-time courses, track attendance for state aid, and evaluate outside courses for academic credit.
Students
Students may be excused from school for up to five hours per week for religious instruction and are eligible to receive academic credit.
Parents
Parents gain the right to request that their children be excused from school to attend released-time courses.
Independent sponsoring entities
Religious instruction providers must maintain attendance records, assume liability, provide transportation, and meet secular criteria for student credit.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for transporting students to and from released-time courses?
Can school districts hold released-time courses on district property?
How do school districts determine whether to award academic credit for these courses?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
4 actions- May 15, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred: Emerging Issues(H)
- Jan 8, 2026HouseFloorRead Second Time (H)
- Jan 7, 2026HouseIntroducedRead First Time (H)
- Dec 3, 2025HouseIntroducedPrefiled (H)
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
house.mo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy75Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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