The first look at an attempted updated sex education bill introduced in January in the Idaho state legislature was eventually scrapped and re-worked to include stronger language about family. That House Bill 414 is no longer an active bill.
The new sex education bill is H-0579 (posted below) was introduced earlier this week and was just posted for public hearing on Friday, February 16, at 9:00 a.m.
There were a few improvements from the original H0414 but I argue that the new bill H0579 is still an abandonment of long standing Idaho sex education laws in public schools.
My concerns with the new house bill (H0579) are similar to my concerns with the first one submitted in January (H0414).
Compare the introductory paragraph: There are subtle language changes that are quite impactful. To say the state of Idaho “acknowledges the importance of families…” is weaker than saying the state of Idaho “believes that the primary responsibility for family life and sex education, including moral responsibility, rests upon the home and the church…” this new bill subtly says the state is the lead and simply encourages “family communication.” The current law gives family the primary jurisdiction on these matters and that the state gives local school boards direction to establish a sex education curriculum under the leadership of family and church.
- Proposed Bill H0579:
- “The legislature of the state of Idaho acknowledges the importance of families in all aspects of their children’s education and promotes a strong school-home connection to support the implementation of sex education curriculum that respects community values and encourages family communication.”
- Current Law:
- “The legislature of the state of Idaho believes that the primary responsibility for family life and sex education, including moral responsibility, rests upon the home and the church and the schools can only complement and supplement those standards which are established in the family.”
Another section with great concern to me: To say “school districts shall involve families and community groups” is different than saying “the program should supplement the work in the home and the church…”
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Proposed Bill H0579:
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School districts shall involve families and community groups in the planning, development, evaluation and revision of any instruction in sex education offered as part of the school curriculum.
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- Current Law:
- The program should supplement the work in the home and the church in giving youth the scientific, physiological information for understanding sex and its relation to the miracle of life, including knowledge of the power of the sex drive and the necessity of controlling that drive by self-discipline.
I urge you to read the new House Bill 579, compare it to the current Family Life and Sex Education Bill. If so inclined, contact the house education committee immediately, contact your local representatives, and/or travel to Boise on February 16, at 9:00 a.m, to speak directly to the committee.
I’ll post some recommendations I have learned over the years of speaking in the public arena and why I think it is important for Christians to speak into issues that are being introduced into law before they become law. Even if our speaking does not impact the direction or intentions of the legislators, it is good to be heard and to be respectfully heard.
After you read the new proposed law consider sharing this with those you feel will make contact with the House Education Committee and other legislators to express concern. Please consider sharing this with your church leadership, this bill deliberately has removed all language of “church” from the bill (compare current law with proposed bill.)
Helpful documents about the proposed sex education bill and committee contact information
House Education Committee: https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2018/standingcommittees/HEDU/
Agenda information: http://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2018/standingcommittees/180216_hedu_0900AM-Agenda.pdf
Statement of Purpose: http://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2018/legislation/H0579SOP.pdf
H0579 page: https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2018/legislation/H0579.pdf
(formatting has been adjusted to fit page, no content has been adjusted in any way.)
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO
Sixty-fourth Legislature Second Regular Session – 2018
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE BILL NO. 579
BY EDUCATION COMMITTEE1 AN ACT
2 RELATING TO SEX EDUCATION; REPEALING SECTIONS 33-1608 THROUGH 33-1611,
3 IDAHO CODE, RELATING TO SEX EDUCATION; AND AMENDING CHAPTER 16, TITLE
4 33, IDAHO CODE, BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 33-1608, IDAHO CODE, TO
5 ESTABLISH PROVISIONS REGARDING SEX EDUCATION.
6 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
7 SECTION 1. That Sections 33-1608 through 33-1611, Idaho Code, be, and
8 the same are hereby repealed.
9 SECTION 2. That Chapter 16, Title 33, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
10 hereby amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and des-11 ignated as Section 33-1608, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:
12 33-1608. SEX EDUCATION. (1) The legislature of the state of Idaho ac-13 knowledges the importance of families in all aspects of their children’s ed-14 ucation and promotes a strong school-home connection to support the imple-15 mentation of sex education curriculum that respects community values and en-16 courages family communication.
17 (2) For purposes of this section, “sex education” means the study of the
18 anatomy and physiology of human reproduction.
19 (3) The decision to include sex education in the school curriculum
20 shall be made at the district level by the board of trustees. If a sex educa-21 tion program is included in the curriculum, the program shall:
22 (a) Be medically accurate according to published authorities on which
23 medical professionals generally rely; and
24 (b) Adhere to the Idaho content standards for health education as es-25 tablished by the state board of education.
26 (4) School districts shall involve families and community groups in the
27 planning, development, evaluation and revision of any instruction in sex ed-28 ucation offered as part of the school curriculum.
29 (5) A child shall be excused from sex education if the child’s parent
30 or legal guardian files an excuse request to the school district board of
31 trustees on a form made available by the board.
TITLE 33
EDUCATION
CHAPTER 16
COURSES OF INSTRUCTION33-1608. FAMILY LIFE AND SEX EDUCATION — LEGISLATIVE POLICY. The legislature of the state of Idaho believes that the primary responsibility for family life and sex education, including moral responsibility, rests upon the home and the church and the schools can only complement and supplement those standards which are established in the family. The decision as to whether or not any program in family life and sex education is to be introduced in the schools is a matter for determination at the local district level by the local school board of duly selected representatives of the people of the community. If such program is adopted, the legislature believes that:
a. Major emphasis in such a program should be to assist the home in giving them the knowledge and appreciation of the important place the family home holds in the social system of our culture, its place in the family and the responsibility which will be there much later when they establish their own families.
b. The program should supplement the work in the home and the church in giving youth the scientific, physiological information for understanding sex and its relation to the miracle of life, including knowledge of the power of the sex drive and the necessity of controlling that drive by self-discipline.
c. The program should focus upon helping youth acquire a background of ideals and standards and attitudes which will be of value to him now and later when he chooses a mate and establishes his own family.
History:
[33-1608, added 1970, ch. 119, sec. 1, p. 282.]
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