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Read. Follow. Verify.Kansas Bill Establishes Student Secular Bill of Rights and Prohibits Religious Coercion in Public Schools
Last action · April 10, 2026: Died in CommitteeSponsor: Silas Miller
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What This Bill Proposed
Kansas bill SB 424 enacts the student secular bill of rights, granting public school students explicit rights to be free from school-sponsored prayer, religious instruction, and religious displays while protecting personal religious practices. The measure requires school districts to establish formal grievance procedures for violations by January 1, 2027, and permits students and parents to bring civil lawsuits seeking damages and attorney fees within two years of an alleged violation.
Public school districts must adopt formal compliance and grievance procedures by January 1, 2027, while students and parents gain statutory standing to sue districts in court for religious coercion or discrimination.
- The First Amendment of the United States Constitution establishes the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause, forming the basis for legal doctrines regarding the separation of church and state. context
- Landmark Supreme Court rulings such as Engel v. Vitale (1962) and Abington School District v. Schempp (1963) previously prohibited state-sponsored prayer and devotional Bible reading in public schools. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
public school students
Students gain statutory rights to practice or abstain from religion freely, protection from school-sponsored religious coercion, and the right to file grievances and lawsuits for violations.
school district employees
Employees must comply with restrictions on leading or endorsing religious activities in their official capacity and are protected from retaliation for making good-faith violation reports.
boards of education
School boards are required to adopt formal grievance policies, investigate reports within statutory timeframes, and implement employee compliance training by January 1, 2027.
State Board of Education
The state board must develop and provide implementation guidance, model policies, and training materials on or before October 1, 2026.
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
What specific rights do public school students gain under the bill?
What actions can students and parents take if a school violates these protections?
Are student religious clubs or personal religious items prohibited?
What deadlines apply to school districts and state boards for implementation?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died in committee.
Procedural history
3 actions- Apr 10, 2026SenateDied in Committee
- Jan 30, 2026SenateCommitteeReferred to Senate Committee on Education
- Jan 29, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced
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
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Creation of Statutory Private Right of Action
The bill moves beyond standard administrative education rules by explicitly granting students and parents the right to sue school districts in court for religious coercion violations.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.kslegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy85Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz45Current news / social attention level
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