Proposed Illinois legislation would require K-12 students to receive age-appropriate education on topics of consent. | Unsplash
Proposed Illinois legislation would require K-12 students to receive age-appropriate education on topics of consent. | Unsplash
The Illinois Senate Executive Committee passed several bills that would overhaul sex education as well as an amendment that would decriminalize the transmission of HIV in the state.
The legislation is known as Senate Bill (SB) 818, which also includes two amendments that outline “comprehensive personal health and safety education and comprehensive sexual health education” for state students.
The bill passed through the committee along partisan lines in an 11-6 vote, and now heads to the Senate floor. The amendment to decriminalize HIV transmission passed the committee on an 11-4 vote to advance to the Senate floor.
SB818 also would amend existing statutes to require that sex education is “medically accurate” and “culturally appropriate.” The revisions seek to provide resources that affirm LGBTQ students, students with disabilities, and students with children. The bill also would remove the inclusion of abstinence-only education for public schools.
Additionally, the legislation would require K-12 students to receive age-appropriate education on topics of consent.
Illinois Senator Rezin (R) opposed the bill, and voiced concerns for the bill in a May 21 social media post. Rezin wrote “The bill would significantly limit local control over sexual education by requiring school districts to either teach the new standards as written or nothing at all.”
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