The proposed bill aims to establish the West Virginia Released Time Education Act, which introduces a framework for allowing students to attend religious instruction courses outside of regular school hours. It includes definitions for key terms such as "released time course" and "school district," and mandates that each school district adopt policies to excuse students for at least one hour per week to attend these courses. The bill outlines specific requirements for these policies, including parental consent, attendance record maintenance by the sponsoring entity, and the responsibility for transportation and liability resting with the sponsoring entity or the student's guardians. Additionally, it ensures that excused time for attending these courses counts towards school attendance requirements and funding.

Furthermore, the bill stipulates that school districts must award academic credit for completed released time courses, using secular criteria for evaluation that do not consider religious content. It also allows for the recognition of credits from independently accredited providers of released time courses. Lastly, the bill provides a mechanism for individuals or organizations to seek remedies, including injunctive relief and monetary damages, if they believe their rights under this act have been violated.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 18-36-1, 18-36-2, 18-36-3, 18-36-4, 18-36-5