"Academic Freedom" Bills by State & Year
Missouri, 2007
One Missouri bill was temporarily amended to contain "academic freedom" language in 2007.
Bill Details
Bill Number: HB469
Title: none
Introduction Date: January 18, 2007; amendment introduced in House on March 13, 2007
Current Status: Amendment removed same day; legislative session ended with bill still in Senate
Text of Amendment: Section 1. School districts shall provide education free from legal, political, and administrative intimidation, harassment, or constraint. No public elementary or secondary school teacher shall be refused employment, disciplined, denied advancement, transferred, or otherwise discriminated against for using a critical analysis in teaching.
Related Off-Site Material
Missouri Legislature: Information on HB469
South Carolina, 2009
Two "academic freedom" bills were introduced in South Carolina in 2009.
Bill Details
Bill Number: S 873
Title: none, legislative description: "to provide that curriculum used to teach students about the origins of mankind must maintain neutrality between religious faiths and between religion and non-religion, and to provide that curriculum that does not maintain the required neutrality must be revised or replaced as soon as practicable"
Introduction Date: May 21, 2009
Current Status: Referred to Senate Committee on Education, no committee action by end of legislative session
Text as introduced
Bill Details
Bill Number: S 875
Title: none, legislative description: "to provide that the state board of education, and district and school governing authorities, shall facilitate scientific education, including controversial scientific education, in the public schools of this state, to prohibit these authorities from impeding this education, and to provide for publication of the provisions of this act to school governing authorities"
Introduction Date: May 21, 2009
Current Status: Referred to Senate Committee on Education
Text as introduced
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Related Off-Site Material
South Carolina Legislature: Information on S 873
South Carolina Legislature: Information on S 875
Tennessee, 2011
Two "academic freedom" bills have been introduced in Tennessee in 2011.
Bill Details
Bill Number: HB 368
Title: none, "protects a teacher from discipline for teaching scientific subjects in an objective manner"
Introduction Date: February 9, 2011
Current Status: Assigned to House Education committee, subcommittee hearings on 2/23, 3/2, 3/16
Passed House Education committee, 3/29
Passed Calendar and Rules Committee, 3/31
Passed House, 4/7
Text as introduced
Bill Number: SB 893
Title: none, "protects a teacher from discipline for teaching scientific subjects in an objective manner"
Introduction Date: February 16, 2011
Current Status: Assigned to General subcommittee of Senate Education committee, on hold until 2012
Text as introduced
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Related Off-Site Material
Tennessee General Assembly: Information on HB 368, includes video from committee hearings
Tennessee General Assembly: Information on SB 893
Texas, 2011
One "academic freedom" bill has been introduced in Texas in 2011.
Bill Details
Bill Number: HB 2454
Title: none, "prohibiting discrimination by public institutions of higher education against faculty members and students based on their conduct of research relating to intelligent design"
Introduction Date: March 8, 2011
Current Status: Referred to Higher Education Committee
Text as introduced
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Related Off-Site Material
Texas Legislature: Information on HB 2458