SALT LAKE CITY — A sex education bill supported by Planned Parenthood, the Utah PTA, Utah Eagle Forum and the Sutherland Institute passed in the House Education Committee on Friday.
SB39 requires that the State Board of Education provide an online curriculum for parents on health and sexual education and notify parents that the information is available.
Bill sponsor Sen. Stuart Reid, R-Ogden, said the bill encourages parents to communicate with their children and helps them overcome any shyness, nervousness or awkwardness involved with the topic of sex education.
Gayle Ruzicka, president of the Utah Eagle Forum, said the conservative group supports the bill because it involves and empowers parents in the education of their children.
There was some debate about the language of the bill after state Superintendent Martell Menlove said he opposed the bill based on the cost to notify parents.
But Reid said there would be no cost tied to the bill because schools could notify parents in their annual mailer or online. The committee gave the bill a favorable recommendation by an 8-1 vote.
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