Bill Text: FL S0946 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Moments of Silence in Public Schools
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-03-10 - Laid on Table, refer to HB 737 [S0946 Detail]
Download: Florida-2020-S0946-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2020 SB 946 By Senator Baxley 12-00745B-20 2020946__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to moments of silence in public 3 schools; amending s. 1003.45, F.S.; providing 4 legislative findings; requiring that public school 5 principals require teachers to set aside time for a 6 moment of silence at the beginning of each school day; 7 specifying the duration of the required moment of 8 silence; prohibiting teachers from making suggestions 9 as to the nature of any reflection that a student may 10 engage in during the moment of silence; deleting a 11 provision authorizing district school boards to 12 provide a brief period of silent prayer or meditation; 13 requiring certain teachers to encourage parents to 14 discuss the moment of silence with their children and 15 to make suggestions as to the best use of this time; 16 providing an effective date. 17 18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 19 20 Section 1. Section 1003.45, Florida Statutes, is amended to 21 read: 22 1003.45 Permitting study of the Bible and religion; 23 requiring a moment of silencepermitting brief meditation24period.— 25 (1) The district school board may install in the public 26 schools in the district a secular program of education 27 including, but not limited to, an objective study of the Bible 28 and of religion. 29 (2) The Legislature finds that in the hectic society of 30 today, too few persons are able to experience even a moment of 31 quiet reflection before plunging headlong into the activities of 32 daily life. Young persons are particularly affected by the 33 absence of an opportunity for a moment of quiet reflection. The 34 Legislature finds that our youth, and society as a whole, would 35 be well served if students in the public schools were afforded a 36 moment of silence at the beginning of each school day. 37 (3) The principal of each public school shall require 38 teachers in first-period classrooms in all grades to set aside 39 at least 1 minute, butdistrict school boardmayprovide that a40brief period,not more thanto exceed2 minutes, daily,for a 41 momentthe purposeof silence, during which students may not 42 interfere with other students’ participation. A teacher may not 43 make suggestions as to the nature of any reflection that a 44 student may engage in during the moment of silencesilent prayer45or meditation be set asideat the start of each school dayor46each school week in the public schools in the district. 47 (4) Each such teacher shall encourage parents to discuss 48 the moment of silence with their children and to make 49 suggestions as to the best use of this time. 50 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.