H 705 Vermont House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

An act relating to the creation of the Student Secular Bill of Rights

H.705 would require Vermont public schools to adopt policies protecting students' right to practice or not practice any religion on school grounds, based on a model policy developed by the Agency of Education. The law prohibits school-sponsored religious activities and ensures students cannot be forced to participate in religious exercises. It creates a private right of action, allowing students or families to sue if schools violate these protections. The bill aims to align school policies with established Supreme Court rulings on church-state separation in education.
Bill status introduced 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 16, 2026 Last action Jan 16, 2026
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Jan 16, 2026
Introduced
Read first time and referred to the Committee on Education
lower
2 primary · 0 co-sponsors

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