This article originally appeared on Oklahoma Voice.
OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma House committee narrowly advanced a bill that would allow students to receive sex education only if their parents consent.
House Bill 3120 by Rep. Danny Williams (R-Seminole) also removes the requirement to teach students about consent during sexual contact.
Currently, state law requires parents to opt out if they don't want their children to learn about sex education in school, but Williams wants to reverse this and instead allow parents to The aim is that written permission must be given.
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“People need to know what they (children) are being asked to participate in,” he says.
Ms Williams said sex education was not part of the curriculum when she attended school.
His bill would also require schools to include classes on biological sex classification.
You can also ignore preferred pronouns, such as he or she, if the pronouns do not correspond to biological gender.
He said he's concerned that parents won't pay attention to the memo they get home from school and miss the opportunity to opt out. He believes parents should decide whether their children should learn about sex in school.
“If this bill passes and becomes law, more parents will be fully committed to their children's education because they will be required to be involved in the decision-making process,” Williams said. said.
Rep. Nick Archer, R-Elk City, who voted against the bill, said he was concerned that parents who want their children to receive sex education might overlook the school notes that would allow them to opt-in. Ta.
He said Oklahoma ranks in the top 10 for HIV infection rates and some sexually transmitted diseases, especially in rural areas.
Some parents believe that trained sex education teachers are better equipped to teach children how to prevent the spread of these diseases, Archer said.
He said he was also concerned that the bill removes the requirement to teach students about consent.
Rep. Jay Stegall (R-Yukon) said requiring parents to opt in would provide “positive affirmation” that their children should participate.
But Rep. Jared Deck, D-Norman, said he was concerned that the change could violate federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs.
Students whose parents are not actively involved may not receive sex education, Deck said.
“When we send children back to abusive places and irresponsible parents, what are the consequences of behavior or lack of behavior when children are not being educated?” he said, adding that inclusive He added that he was concerned about the potential consequences of a lack of sexual education. It has negative consequences for the family.
He also said lawmakers are continually making changes to the state's curriculum at a time when school districts need credibility. Deck said communities want the power to decide what is taught in schools. They don't want lawmakers to dictate it to them, he said.
The bill passed with a vote of 4 to 3, allowing it to be passed by the House of Representatives.
Oklahoma Voice is part of State Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by a coalition of grants and donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. If you have any questions, please contact our editor, Janelle Stecklein, at info@oklahomavoice.com. Follow Oklahoma Voice on Facebook twitter.
