Bill Description: Senate Bill 1071 would prohibit school employees or third parties from teaching kindergarten through fourth grade students about human sexuality, sexual orientation, or gender identity. It would also clarify that no provisions within the bill should “be implied to grant authority or require the teaching of these subjects for grade 5 and above.”

Analyst’s Note: The amendment to Senate Bill 1071 changed the rating from a -1 to a +1. 

Rating: +1

Does the bill allow schools to be more flexible, improve feedback mechanisms, and decentralize decisions to the family or individual level? (+) Conversely, does the bill add to the existing education bureaucracy? (-)

Senate Bill 1071 would prevent school employees or third parties from teaching kindergarten through fourth grade students about human sexuality, sexual orientation, or gender identity. By preventing school employees from teaching young students about these age-inappropriate topics or bringing in an outside speaker to do so, Senate Bill 1071 elevates the rights of parents to have exclusive authority over whether and how their children will be taught about these subjects.

In addition, the amended bill states that “[n]othing in this section shall be implied to grant authority or require the teaching of these subjects for grade 5 and above.” This new clause would prevent school districts from having license to discuss human sexuality, sexual orientation, or gender identity once students reach fifth grade. No school district, government agency, or public employee should engage in such practices, regardless of the student’s age or grade level.

(+1)