Texas Legislature Approves Bill Allowing Public Schools to Hire Unlicensed Chaplains

Texas lawmakers passed a bill allowing unlicensed chaplains to serve in school counseling positions.
The bill comes amid a push by the Republican-majority Legislature to open the door for more religion in public schools.
Supporters say chaplains can provide critical counseling to help prevent school shootings and address other problems such as drug use.
Critics say the measure violates student religious freedom and allows an entryway for campus evangelizing while exposing students to potentially biased counseling methods.
Local school boards and open-enrollment charter schools would have six months to decide whether to allow chaplains, who could be employees or volunteers.