Legislation that new sponsor Representative Monty Fritts (R-Kingston-District 32) says raises expectations for parental engagement passed the House Education Administration Committee during a voice vote yesterday.
House Bill 0727 (HB0727) would make it mandatory for schools to obtain parental consent before students are allowed to participate in sex education classes or surveys.
Parents and legal guardians must be given an opportunity to review all surveys, analyses, or evaluations, prior to being administered to students and written consent obtained before participation. Consent may be withdrawn at any time.
Similarly with any “family life curriculum” that includes sex education, gender identity, and sexual orientation topics, parents and legal guardians must be informed about what their students will be learning ahead of time and consent must be given. Parents and guardians may opt in for all of the curriculum, or only parts of it.
Fritts, who also sponsored a bill (HB1411) that would require parental consent before students can join clubs at school such as Gay Straight Alliance clubs, become the sponsor of HB0727 on April 4th. HB1411 has been taken off notice.
