Sex ed bill amended, impact unclear among Utah lawmakers

SALT LAKE CITY — A bill that would have banished all talk of contraception from public schools was amended and passed by a House committee Thursday, leaving some scratching their heads over what distinguishes the bill from law currently on the books.

Rep. Bill Wright, R-Holden, presented HB363 to the House Education Committee with his young granddaughter at his side.

"She represents the innocence of those we are really talking about," Wright said. "This is not an important part of our curriculum. … It is just basically something out there that takes away from the character in our schools and takes away from the character of our students."

Under Wright's bill, districts would be able to opt out entirely from teaching human sexuality. Currently, districts are required to teach it as part of the core health curriculum for a few days in junior high and a few days in high school. Under the proposal, districts that choose to teach human sexuality would be required to teach an abstinence only curriculum.

"I think we are intellectually dishonest when we teach pregnancy prevention in our classes and do not teach the only sure pregnancy prevention," Wright said.

While schools are currently required to only advocate abstinence, teachers are still allowed to discuss contraception, so long as they don't advocate for it.

Some committee and audience members were concerned the bill would actually prohibit districts from adequately teaching abstinence, since it would prohibit all discussion of contraception.

"You must have discussion about those sexual activities and what happens as a result of them in order to talk about abstinence," Rep. Carol Moss, D-Salt Lake,  said.

An amendment offered by Rep. Kraig Powell, R-Heber City, that was passed by the committee changed Wright's proposal so it more closely resembles current Utah law. Instead of prohibiting all discussion of contraception, the amended version ensures that human sexuality instruction "may not include instruction in the advocacy or use of contraceptive methods or devices."

After the meeting, Wright said he wasn't sure how contraceptives would be addressed in the classroom under the amendment.

The Utah Parent Teacher Association opposed Wright's bill, saying the current law is sufficient, and ideals have to be balanced with realities.