_____________ bill NO. _____________

INTRODUCED BY _________________________________________________

By Request of the ****

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT REVISING EDUCATION LAWS TO PROHIBIT social-EMOTIONAL LEARNING; PROVIDING A DEFINITION; Providing a penalty; establishING REPORTING REQUIREMENTS; and PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE."

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

NEW SECTION. Section 1. Prohibition on social-emotional learning. (1) A school district may not promote, purchase, or utilize the concepts of social-emotional learning for training of teachers or instruction of students. A teacher, administrator, counselor, employee, or volunteer of a school district may not use any curricula with content related to social-emotional learning in the instruction of students.

(2)        Violation of this section constitutes "gross neglect of duty" under 20-4-110. The board of public education shall, in accordance with 5-11-210, report to the education interim committee any violations of this section that result in a suspension, revocation, or written reprimand under 20-4-110(6).

(3)        For the purposes of this section, "social-emotional learning" means:

(a)        any program, policy, process, or procedure that uses school climate surveys to collect data from students according to skills that include but are not limited to education, confidence, connections, motivation, stress, or well-being; and

(b)        any program, policy, or procedure that compiles or uses data from school climate surveys to develop aligned learning opportunities.

NEW SECTION. Section 2. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 20, chapter 7, part 1, and the provisions of Title 20, chapter 7, part 1, apply to [section 1].

NEW SECTION. Section 3. Effective date. [This act] is effective July 1, 2023.