HB1447: Education matters.

Legislative Summary

Education matters. Provides that, if a school corporation or qualified school uses a third party vendor in providing certain personal analyses, evaluations, or surveys, the third party vendor and the school corporation or qualified school may not record, collect, or maintain the responses to or results of the analysis, evaluation, or survey in a manner that would identify the responses or results of an individual student. Provides that, if a school corporation or qualified school uses a third party vendor in providing the personal analysis, evaluation, or survey, the school corporation or qualified school must provide parents or students, as applicable, two requests for written consent before administering the analysis, evaluation, or survey. Provides that the school corporation or qualified school may administer the personal analysis, evaluation, or survey if a parent or student, as applicable, does not decline the analysis, evaluation, or survey. Requires each school corporation or qualified school to: (1) post a copy of a personal analysis, evaluation, or survey on the school corporation's or qualified school's website; and (2) send with each notice an explanation of the reasons that the school corporation or qualified school is administering the personal analysis, evaluation, or survey. Requires each qualified school to establish and maintain a grievance procedure for complaints regarding a violation of this provision. Provides that, if a state agency, school corporation, or qualified school or an employee of a state agency, school corporation, or qualified school requires, makes part of a course, awards a grade or course credit, or otherwise incentivizes a student to engage in: (1) political activism; (2) lobbying; or (3) efforts to persuade members of the legislative or executive branch at the federal, state, or local level; the state agency, school corporation, or qualified school or the employee of the state agency, school corporation, or qualified school shall not require the student to adopt, affirm, affiliate, or take any action that would result in favoring any particular position on the issue or issues involved without offering an alternative option for the student to complete the assignment or receive extra credit or other incentivization that allows for the favoring of an alternative position. After June 30, 2023, requires certain contracts between a school corporation or a qualified school and a third party vendor concerning a personal analysis, survey, or evaluation to contain a breach of contract provision. Requires schools to adopt policies and procedures concerning material alleged to be obscene or harmful to minors. Removes schools from the list of entities eligible for a specified defense to such criminal prosecutions.