Official Text and Analysis.

Requires postsecondary institutions to accommodate students whose sincerely held religious beliefs impact exam performance or successful program completion.

Requires postsecondary institutions to accommodate students whose sincerely held religious beliefs impact exam performance or successful program completion.

Requires a student to provide written notice within the first two weeks of the beginning of the course of the specific dates the student is requesting accommodations regarding examinations or other activities.

Applies the religious accommodation provision to public institutions of higher education (current law), rather than to all degree-granting institutions, private vocational schools, cosmetology schools, and any entity offering academic credit for apprenticeships.

Allows absences for up to 30 days per academic year, rather than having no limit.

Requires institutions to track and submit annual reports to the Legislature (beginning December 1, 2019) on the number and types of accommodation requests made, granted, and denied. Provides that a student's personal identifying information is confidential except to the extent necessary to provide accommodations, and prohibits institutions from including any personal identifying information in reports.

Provides that if faculty provided reasonable accommodation to a student, such as rescheduling or student from participating in examinations or other faculty must allow any student in the course access accommodation regardless of the student's religion. Requires a student to provide written notice within weeks of the beginning of the course of the specific dates the student is requesting accommodations regarding examinations or other activities.

Provides that accommodations are not required in specific programs or courses if: (1) absences, rescheduling, or broad-based exemptions or alternatives would impact the delivery of instruction, materials, or resources, or the efficacy of, the program or course; or (2) the academic reputation or ranking of the program or course, or the ranking or grading system within the program or course, would be negatively impacted. Requires that if accommodations cannot be provided for a program or course based on the established reasons, notice must be provided in the syllabus, registration materials, and on the institution's website.