A bill is filed to strike a balance between student rights to free speech and uninterrupted learning time.

The full release from State Representative Brian Seitz's office is below:

State Representative Brian Seitz has filed House Bill 3309 to establish clear, consistent standards regarding protest activity in Missouri’s public schools while reaffirming students’ constitutional rights to free expression.

HB 3309 creates a new section in Chapter 167, RSMo, to address protest activities that disrupt school operations during regularly scheduled instructional time. The legislation ensures that students retain their First Amendment rights, while also protecting the integrity of classroom instruction and the orderly function of Missouri schools.

“Students absolutely have the right to free speech,” Rep. Seitz, R-Branson, said. “But schools also have a responsibility to provide a safe, stable learning environment where instruction is not disrupted. This legislation simply draws a clear line between protected expression and conduct that interferes with the educational mission of our schools.”

Under the bill, students who leave scheduled instructional periods without authorization to participate in protest activities would be marked absent. The legislation also provides accountability measures for individuals who knowingly disrupt school operations or encourage unlawful walkouts. School districts or charter schools that facilitate organized walkouts during instructional time could face investigations and potential funding consequences tied to attendance policies.

Importantly, HB 3309 explicitly protects peaceful, voluntary student expression that occurs outside scheduled instructional time. The bill affirms that no student may be disciplined solely for engaging in peaceful expression unless the conduct materially and substantially disrupts school operations, infringes upon the rights of others, or violates content-neutral time, place, and manner policies.

The legislation further clarifies that nothing in the bill authorizes viewpoint discrimination or limits lawful activities protected under state or federal law. School districts and charter schools may adopt content-neutral policies governing student expression, provided those policies are reasonably related to legitimate educational concerns.

“Our goal is balance,” Rep. Seitz said. “We can uphold the Constitution while also making sure our classrooms remain focused on education. HB 3309 reinforces both principles.”