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2000 SESSION
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 22.1-203 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 22.1-203. Daily observance of one minute of silence.
In order that the right of every pupil to the free exercise of religion be
guaranteed within the schools and that the freedom of each individual pupil be
subject to the least possible pressure from the Commonwealth either to engage
in, or to refrain from, religious observation on school grounds, the school
board of each school division is authorized to shall establish the daily
observance of one minute of silence in each classroom of the division.
Where During such one-minute period of silence is instituted, the teacher
responsible for each classroom shall take care that all pupils remain seated
and silent and make no distracting display to the end that each pupil may, in
the exercise of his or her individual choice, meditate, pray, or engage in any
other silent activity which does not interfere with, distract, or impede other
pupils in the like exercise of individual choice.
The Office of the Attorney General shall be authorized to intervene and shall provide legal counsel for defense of this law. Further, the Commonwealth of Virginia shall be responsible for all legal fees incurred by any local school board for defense of this statute.