Enacts provisions requiring school districts to develop policies for released time courses

HB 1393 requires school districts to create policies allowing students to be excused from school for religious instruction courses (called "released time courses") taught by independent groups. It mandates that districts must excuse students for 1-5 hours weekly upon written parental consent, with specific conditions: the sponsoring group must handle transportation and liability, use no school funds (beyond minimal administrative costs), and provide attendance records. Crucially, the bill requires school districts to award academic credit for these courses based *only* on secular criteria (like class hours, syllabus, and instructor qualifications), not religious content. This directly affects students, parents, and school districts by establishing clear, neutral rules for religious instruction outside school hours while ensuring credit recognition.