Texas on the verge of allowing prayer in schools after bill passes Legislature 

Texas schools may soon permit daily prayer times if Gov. Greg Abbott signs a bill that recently passed the state Legislature.

Senate Bill 11, which the House approved Thursday after previous approval in the Senate, would allow school districts to set aside daily time for prayer or the study of a religious text, Chron reported.

The prayer times, which must be approved by individual school districts, would also require students to obtain parental permission to participate.

Lawmakers debated whether to include language prohibiting teachers and school staff from encouraging students to pray, but the bill was revised to simply prohibit anyone from “requiring or coercing a student to engage in or refrain from” prayer or meditation “during any school activity.”

The legislation, which would take effect Sept. 1, also prohibits prayer over a speaker system.

While critics argued the bill could open “a can of worms,” proponents said it would allow local districts to adopt policies that reflect their communities’ values. 

“SB 11 is about protecting the freedom of those who choose to pray, and just as importantly, protecting the rights of those who choose not to,” said Rep. David Spiller, R-Jacksboro, who sponsored the bill. “It empowers local school boards.” 

If signed into law, school boards would have six months from the effective date to vote on whether to implement prayer periods. Charter schools, which receive public funding, would also be required to vote on whether to adopt them. 

Texas lawmakers have also considered requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in schools and, last year, the state approved the Bluebonnet curriculum, which incorporates stories from the Bible and other faiths into math and reading lessons for grades K-5.