Text of WY HB 335 (2025)
Wyoming educational religious freedom act.
Legislative text is a public record. Where LegiScan supplied it, the CC BY 4.0 credit applies.
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As introduced
14,449 characters
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
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HB0335
HOUSE BILL NO. HB0335
Wyoming educational religious freedom act.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Brady
A BILL
for
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AN ACT relating to public education; prohibiting sectarian
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instruction and practices in public institutions; providing
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definitions; specifying prohibited practices; creating a
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complaint process; specifying duties of the state board of
5
education; requiring modification of accreditation status
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as specified; providing enforcement; providing penalties;
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and providing for an effective date.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
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Section 1. W.S. 21-9-301 through 21-9-306 are created
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to read:
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ARTICLE 3
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WYOMING EDUCATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACT
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21-9-301. Wyoming educational religious freedom act.
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This act may be cited as the "Wyoming Educational Religious
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Freedom Act."
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21-9-302. Legislative findings.
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(a) The Wyoming legislature finds that:
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(i) Article 1, section 19 and article 7, section
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of
the
Wyoming
constitution
prohibit
sectarian
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instruction in public schools;
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(ii) Certain
educational
frameworks
and
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practices constitute sectarian instruction through:
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(A) Establishment of comprehensive belief
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systems;
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(B) Implementation of mandatory ritual-like
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practices;
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(C) Imposition of specific moral ethical
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frameworks;
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(D) Creation
of
hierarchical
authority
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structures for moral guidance;
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(E) Required acceptance and practice of
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specific worldviews;
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(F) Mandatory participation in belief-based
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activities.
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(iii) The state has the following compelling
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government interests:
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(A) Protecting
students'
rights
of
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conscience;
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(B) Maintaining
religious
neutrality
in
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public education;
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(C) Ensuring parents' rights in directing
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their children's education;
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(D) Preservice
academic
freedom
while
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preventing compelling speech;
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(E) Upholding
the
Wyoming
constitution
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prohibiting sectarian instruction in public schools;
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(F) Protecting
the
freedom
of
religion
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provided by the first amendment to the United States
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constitution;
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(G) Maintaining educational quality;
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(H) Respecting diverse community values.
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(iv) The Wyoming Educational Religious Freedom
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Act
is
narrowly
tailored
to
achieve
the
compelling
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government interests outlined in paragraph (iii) of this
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subsection.
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21-9-303. Definitions.
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(a) "Educational institution" means:
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(i) Any public school;
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(ii) Any public school district;
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(iii) Any program or activity receiving state
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educational funds;
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(iv) Any entity providing educational services
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under contract with the state.
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(b) "Sectarian" includes any pedagogical framework,
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practice or instruction that:
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(i) Mandates
specific
beliefs
about
human
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development, identity or social interaction;
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(ii) Requires
participation
in
activities
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involving emotional or personal disclosure;
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(iii) Enforces particular viewpoints about power
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structures, privilege or group identity;
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(iv) Establishes predetermined moral frameworks
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about social or cultural dynamics;
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(v) Requires acceptance of specific theories
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about systemic or institution structures;
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(vi) Mandates participation in exercises focused
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on identity exploration or recognition;
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(vii) Implements
compulsory
training
or
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activities regarding cultural competency or bias;
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(viii) Requires adherence to prescribed methods
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of discussing or analyzing group identity;
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(ix) Establishes
specific
frameworks
for
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emotional processing or social interaction;
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(x) Mandates acceptance of particular historical
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interpretations based on group identity.
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21-9-304. Prohibited practices; authorized practices.
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(a) No educational institution shall implement or
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incorporate curricula, instruction, training or programming
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that:
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(i) Requires students to:
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(A) Participate
in
mandatory
emotional
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disclosure or processing activities;
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(B) Accept specific beliefs about power
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dynamics or privilege;
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(C) Engage
in
compulsory
identity
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exploration or recognition;
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(D) Adopt
particular
viewpoints
about
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social or cultural structure;
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(E) Follow
prescribed
methods
for
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discussing group identity;
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(F) Accept
specific
historical
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interpretations based on group identity;
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(G) Participate
in
mandatory
cultural
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competency or bias recognition activities.
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(ii) Establishes or enforces:
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(A) Equity-based or identity-based grading
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systems;
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(B) Mandatory identity-focused group work;
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(C) Required
cultural
celebration
of
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activities;
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(D) Compulsory
privilege
or
bias
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recognition exercises;
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(E) Prescribed
protocols
for
discussing
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group identity;
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(F) Required acceptance of specific power
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dynamic analysis.
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(iii) Integrates into academic subjects:
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(A) Mandatory
emotional
processing
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activities;
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(B) Required identity-based analysis;
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(C) Compulsory
cultural
competency
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exercises;
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(D) Prescribed social justice framework;
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(E) Required equity-based learning methods.
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(b) Nothing in the Wyoming Educational Religious
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Freedom Act shall be interpreted to prohibit:
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(i) An educational institution from providing
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academic
instruction
about
historical
or
scientific
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concepts;
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(ii) A student from voluntarily participating in
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discussions or activities;
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(iii) An
educational
institution
from
using
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educational materials that reference diverse viewpoints or
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perspectives.
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21-9-305. Responsibilities
of
educational
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institutions.
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(a) Educational
institutions
shall
perform
the
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following duties:
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(i) Establish written policies and procedures
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to:
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(A) Annually
review
and
evaluate
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curriculum,
materials
and
instructional
practices
for
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sectarian content including:
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(I) Instructional materials including
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physical
and
digital
textbooks,
interactive
digital
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platforms, educational software and applications, online
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learning management systems and streaming media content;
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(II) Supplementary materials including
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worksheets,
handouts,
digital
supplemental
content,
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third-party educational resources, educational websites and
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platforms and virtual or augmented reality content;
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(III) Teacher
resources
including
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lesson plans, guides, instructional support materials,
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classroom
management
tools,
assessment
guidelines
and
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digital teaching platforms;
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(IV) Assessment
materials
including
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tests, quizzes, performance evaluations, digital assessment
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platforms, progress monitoring tools and data collection
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systems;
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(V) Professional development materials
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including
training
materials,
continuing
education
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resources, online professional learning platforms, coaching
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and mentoring materials and educational research materials.
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(B) Ensure all curriculum materials do not:
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(I) Mandate
acceptance
of
specific
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belief systems;
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(II) Require
participation
in
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sectarian practices;
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(III) Enforce particular worldviews;
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(IV) Implement
compulsory
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identity-based activities.
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(ii) Implement corrective action plans imposed
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by the state board of education pursuant to W.S. 21-9-306.
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21-9-306. Responsibilities of the state board of
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education; complaint process; penalties for violation.
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(a) The state board of education shall:
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(i) Establish
standards
for
educational
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institutions to identify violations of W.S. 21-9-304;
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(ii) Establish
procedures
for
educational
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institutions to annually submit compliance reports to the
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state board for review;
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(iii) Review educational institutions' policies
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and procedures established under W.S. 21-9-305(a)(i);
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(iv) Issue guidance to educational institutions
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to ensure compliance with the Wyoming Educational Religious
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Freedom Act.
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(b) The state board of education shall establish
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procedures to investigate complaints of noncompliance by
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educational
institutions
with
the
Wyoming
Educational
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Religious Freedom Act. The process shall include written
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notice to educational institutions of non-compliance with
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the
Wyoming
Educational
Religious
Freedom
Act
and
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imposition of corrective action plans which shall include
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the following penalties:
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(i) For
an
educational
institution's
first
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violation the educational institution shall submit
a
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corrective action plan to the state board of education
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within thirty (30) days of issuance of the state board's
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decision, complete mandatory compliance training, provide a
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monthly progress report to the state board of education for
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a twelve (12) month period and be subject to a twelve (12)
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month monitoring period by the state board of education;
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(ii) If an educational institution violates the
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Wyoming Educational Religious Freedom Act during the twelve
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(12) month monitoring period imposed under paragraph (i) of
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this subsection, the educational institution shall:
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(A) Be subject to a change in accreditation
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status to accredited with follow-up by the state board of
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education pursuant to W.S. 21-2-304(a)(ii) and (b)(ii);
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(B) Be
subject
to
weekly
compliance
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monitoring and reporting by the state board of education;
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(C) Submit
curriculum
all
curriculum
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materials to the department of education for review. The
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department of education shall complete the review within
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forty-five (45) days of receipt of the material and submit
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written findings and recommendations to the school district
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board of trustees and the state board of education;
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(D) Submit an administrative improvement
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plan to the state board of education; and
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(E) Be subject to an additional twelve (12)
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months of monitoring by the state board of education.
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(iii) If an educational institution violates the
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Wyoming Educational Religious Freedom Act twice during the
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twelve (12) month monitoring period imposed under paragraph
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(i) of this subsection, the educational institution shall:
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(A) Be subject to a change in accreditation
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status to non-accredited by the state board of education
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pursuant to W.S. 21-2-304(a)(ii) and (b)(ii);
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(B) Be subject to oversight and corrective
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measures, including but not limited to a comprehensive
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program review, by the state department of education and
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state board of education; and
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(C) Undergo
leadership
restructuring
as
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required by the state department of education and state
3
board of education.
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(iv) Immediate action by the state board of
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education
to
change
the
educational
institution's
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accreditation status to nonaccredited pursuant to W.S.
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21-2-304(a)(ii)
and
(b)(ii),
for
any
educational
9
institution that commits any of the following:
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(A) Willfully
violates
the
Wyoming
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Educational Religious Freedom Act affecting at least twenty
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percent (20%) of the students enrolled in the educational
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institution for not less than ninety (90) days;
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(B) Deliberately conceals violations of the
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Wyoming Educational Religious Freedom Act for not less than
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one hundred eighty (180) days;
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(C) Engages
in
retaliation
against
the
21
person that alleged violation of the Wyoming Educational
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Religious Freedom Act;
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(D) Continued
violation
of
the
Wyoming
2
Educational Freedom Act for at least sixty (60) days
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following receipt of the notice provided pursuant to
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subsection (b) of this section;
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(E) Intentional falsification of compliance
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reports submitted to the state board of education;
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(F) Sustained
non-cooperation
with
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investigations conducted by the state board of education
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for not less than ninety (90) calendar days.
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(c) Any parent or guardian of a student enrolled in
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an educational institution may:
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(i) File a complaint and request a hearing with
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the state board of education alleging an educational
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institution violated the Wyoming Educational Religious
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Freedom Act;
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(ii) Request the state board of education review
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educational materials of an educational institution for
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compliance with the Wyoming Educational Religious Freedom
2
Act.
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Section 2. This act is effective July 1, 2026.
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(END)