School administrations would be restricted from censoring student journalists under a bill discussed in a Missouri House committee.
The Columbia Missourian reports that the bill discussed Monday would broaden protections for high school and college journalists. Schools would remain able to limit content if it is deemed libelous or slanderous, invades privacy, violates federal or state law or violates school policy or disrupts school.
After unanimously passing through the House last legislative session, a Senate committee held the bill while waiting for a vote.
The latest version mimics the language of a longstanding law in Kansas, known as the Kansas Student Publications Act
If it passes, Missouri would become the twelfth state, in addition to the District of Columbia, that has approved additional legal protections for high school students.
