House Bill hb0667e1

                                    CS/HB 667, First Engrossed/ntc



  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to education; authorizing

  3         individual district school boards by resolution

  4         to allow invocation or benediction at specified

  5         secondary school-related events; providing

  6         legislative intent; providing severability;

  7         providing an effective date.

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  9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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11         Section 1.  Any district school board is authorized to

12  adopt a resolution allowing the use of an inspirational

13  message, including an invocation or a benediction at a

14  secondary school commencement exercise or a secondary

15  school-related noncompulsory student assembly. The resolution

16  must provide:

17         (1)  That the use of an invocation or a benediction

18  shall be at the discretion of the students.

19         (2)  That an invocation or a benediction, if used,

20  shall be given by a student volunteer.

21         (3)  That an invocation or a benediction shall be

22  nonsectarian and nonproselytizing in nature.

23         (4)  That school personnel shall not participate in, or

24  otherwise influence the exercise of the discretion of the

25  students in, the determination of whether to use an invocation

26  or a benediction.

27         Section 2.  It is the purpose of this act to provide

28  for the solemnization and memorialization of secondary school

29  events and ceremonies, and this act is not intended to advance

30  or endorse any religion or religious belief.

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                                    CS/HB 667, First Engrossed/ntc



  1         Section 3.  If any provision of this act or the

  2  application thereof to any person or circumstance is held

  3  invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or

  4  applications of the act which can be given effect without the

  5  invalid provision or application, and to this end the

  6  provisions of this act are declared severable.

  7         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.