Massachusetts Bill Regarding Parental Notification and Consent in School (H 295)

H 295 would require every city, town, regional/vocational school district or charter school implementing or maintaining school programs involving human sexuality issues and behaviors to adopt a written policy ensuring parental or legal guardian notification of such school programs and a description of their content.

Such courses would only be allowed to be offered in clearly identified non-mandatory elective courses in which parents or guardians may choose to enroll their children through written notification to the school.

Instructional materials for such courses would need to be made available to parents, guardians, educators, school administrators, and others for inspection and review.

The bill defines “human sexuality issues and behaviors” to include:

[…]sexual education, contraception, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, promiscuity, homosexuality, bisexuality, lesbianism, transsexuality, transgenderism, cross-dressing, gender re-assignment, sex change, opposite-sex hormone treatments, sodomy, oral sex, anal sex, masturbation, fornication, bestiality, pansexuality, pederasty, prostitution, polygamy, polyandry, bondage and discipline, and sadomasochism. It also includes issues, concepts, and relationships deriving from those issues and behaviors, including but not limited to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender stereotype, alternative parenting models, and non-traditional marriage and family constructs.

Refusal Clause

The bill would allow public school teachers, administrators, and staff members to refuse to participate in any such school programs that violate their religious beliefs.

Related Legislation

Similar to H 275 and H 2883.

STATUS

Replaced by H 7304, which does not include a refusal clause.

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