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House passes bill to codify parental opt-in for human sexuality instruction
Summary
The House approved a substitute for HB 447 to codify a Utah State Board of Education rule requiring prior written parental consent before students receive human sexuality instruction; proponents said it standardizes practice statewide, opponents warned language could be overly broad for literature and other classes.
The Utah House on March 11 approved second substitute House Bill 447, a measure that codifies a state rule requiring prior written parental consent before students receive instruction explicitly focused on human sexuality.
Sponsor Representative D told members the substitute mirrors current USOE practice and ensures all school districts use a consistent process for parental opt-in. “In the rule, they have an opt out, which means that you must indicate that you do not want to have your children…participate in this type of education,” the sponsor said, describing new language that narrows the definition to instruction where human sexuality is the focus of discussion.
The bill’s supporters argued the measure merely brings a uniform statutory requirement to what many districts already do. Representative D said the change gives parents responsibility and districts clear direction.
Opponents warned the statute’s list of topics could be read broadly. Representative Moss, an English teacher, noted that classic literature commonly addresses marriage, parenthood and related themes and said the language could inadvertently exclude standard classroom discussions: “There are just a lot of things in that list that could be the focus of a discussion in a literature class,” Moss said. Other members asked whether the requirement was duplicative, since the USOE already directs districts to use opt-in consent forms.
Members debated whether the new statutory language properly limited the requirement to instruction that is a course’s material and “the focus of the discussion.” The sponsor and others repeatedly emphasized the intent is not to bar passing references or incidental classroom discussion but to require written consent when human sexuality is central to the instructional content.
After the previous question was called, the House adopted the motion to substitute and approved second substitute HB 447 on a 40–31 vote. The bill will be transmitted back to the Senate for consideration.
The next procedural step is Senate consideration; the House-recorded vote and the substitute language will be sent to the Senate for their review and action.
