Assembly Approves Bill To Simplify Parental Consent for Sex Education Classes

The Assembly yesterday voted 44-31 to approve a bill (SB 71) that would replace the use of "scattered and sometimes conflicting" parental consent forms for sex education classes with a more streamlined process, the AP/Orange County Register reports. Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica), who sponsored the bill, said that SB 71 will require schools that teach sex education or HIV prevention classes to send notices to parents at the start of the school year informing them of the dates students are scheduled to take the classes and if they are scheduled to participate in sexual behavior surveys, according to the AP/Register (Coleman, AP/Orange County Register, 9/10). Under the bill, parents who do not want their children participating in the classes or surveys can return the notification form indicating that they wish to exclude their child from the instruction or survey, the San Jose Mercury News reports. However, if the notification form is not returned, parental consent for all classes or surveys is assumed. The bill now returns to the Senate to address changes made by the Assembly. Gov. Gray Davis (D) has said that he would sign the bill if the Senate and Assembly approve it (Guido, San Jose Mercury News, 9/10).