School districts could have paid or voluntary chaplains under a bill advanced by a Senate committee this week. A new amendment would require chaplains to be mandatory reporters in schools and to be certified by a nationally recognized school chaplain credentialing organization.
Sen. Sarah Trone Garriot, D-West Des Moines, says the only group that specifically offers school chaplain credentials is a Christian, non-denominational advocacy group. She says the bill lacks rigorous guidelines around training and doesn’t have protections in place for children.
“It is a groomer's dream to have access to our children in this way, to have this authority, and then to be able to come in and operate with no guidance and no guidelines and no oversight.”
Supporters say the bill explicitly prohibits forcing kids to see a chaplain and doesn’t require school districts to have them. Next, the bill heads to the Senate floor.