Senate Bill 613, dubbed the “Academic Freedom Act,” would, if enacted, allow teachers and students to debate proven scientific theories. The bill’s sole sponsor, David Bullard (R-District 6), introduced a similar bill in 2019, which was rejected by the Senate Education Committee.
Critics argue that the bill would empower science denial in the classroom by forcing educators to present established scientific theories, like evolution and climate change, as disputed or controversial. While the bill does not name any specific theories, it describes scientific questions and evidence generally as “controversial.”
A similar bill, Senate Bill 662, was introduced concurrently with SB 613.
Updates:
Legislative Update
The bill died in committee.