PRESS RELEASE: HB 547, Religious Freedom Bill for Teachers, Signed By Governor

In a Victory for First Amendment, HB 547 Protecting Religious Freedom For Teachers is Signed by Governor

FRANKFORT, KY – The Family Foundation applauds Rep. Chris Fugate, the bill’s sponsor, and the House and Senate for their overwhelming support in passing House Bill 547. On Friday of last week, Governor Andy Beshear signed the bill.

“HB 547 is a victory for religious freedom in our Commonwealth,” said David Walls, executive director of The Family Foundation. “Thanks to HB 547, teachers will be protected against out-of-state special interest groups who demand that schools adopt inaccurate interpretations of the First Amendment that unlawfully restrict the freedom of students and teachers.

“As the U.S. Supreme Court made clear in the Coach Kennedy decision, no American should ever be fired by the government for exercising their private religious expression, including saying a prayer. The exercise of First Amendment rights on public school campuses in Kentucky is a critical component of the education of our students,” Walls concluded.

HB 547 simply provides Kentucky’s school administrators and personnel clarity by enshrining key aspects of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District (2022) and ensures that the religious liberty rights of the Commonwealth’s teachers are protected.

In June of 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District upholding America’s first right of religious freedom. The Family Foundation filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in favor of Coach Joseph Kennedy, who was fired from a public school in Washington State after he prayed briefly at the 50-yard line.