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State Representative Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, has authored legislation that authorizes public high schools in Louisiana to offer a course of instruction in the history and literature of the Bible.  House Bill 68 (HB 68) authorizes this course as long as, “no student shall be required to use a particular translation of the Bible, the course shall maintain religious neutrality and accommodate diverse views, and the course shall not show favor or disfavor toward any particular religion or any nonreligious perspective.”

Rep. Hodges said, “This bill confirms our students have the opportunity to study the most published book in history, when it has been unclear they had that option in the past.  The course is meant to be an elective, allowing students the choice to learn about the history and literature of the Bible, and it is my hope that students take this opportunity to grow their knowledge on a subject that may be at least somewhat foreign to them.”

HB 68 was passed through the Louisiana House of Representatives with bipartisan support and the Louisiana Senate unanimously. The governor signed HB68 into law on June, 12^th, 2023 making it Act 215 with an effective date of August 1^st, 2023.  For more information on this bill and others like it, please visit the Louisiana Legislature’s website at www.legis.la.gov.