Dear John,

Saturday was an extraordinary day for advocacy in Texas.

This week, Senate Republicans slipped a controversial amendment onto a
must-pass school finance bill, requiring parents to actively opt their
children into sex education classes. Only six other states currently have
similar requirements. Since the bill did not receive a hearing in the
House, this last minute legislative maneuvering meant that stakeholders
didn’t have an opportunity to communicate to House members how harmful
these provisions are. What’s more, House members didn’t have a chance
to weigh in on a major policy change impacting every Texas public school
student and every Texas school district.

Over the weekend, as a direct result of an outpouring of intensive
advocacy, a compromise was brokered. The sex education opt-in will be
required, but will only be in place for three years. The school finance
bill, HB 1525, passed and is headed to the governor’s desk.

The opt-in provision, even for the limited 3-year period, is extremely
concerning. We know from districts that have implemented opt in procedures
that the vast majority of parents — on the order of 95% — choose to
have their children take sex education. And of course, parents continue to
have the right to keep their children out of any classes they wish.

The problem is for the kids whose parents or caretakers are not actively
opposed to sexual education, but simply miss the form in the bottom of the
backpack or in their jam-packed email inboxes. Parents who are already
disengaged from the educational process may be especially likely to miss a
permission slip or forget to return it. Many children are also living in
chaotic situations without engaged caretakers. THE OPT-IN PROVISION IS
LIKELY TO HARM THE CHILDREN WHO MOST NEED SCHOOLS TO STEP UP AND PROVIDE
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THEIR BODIES WORK, HOW TO AVOID UNINTENDED
PREGNANCY AND SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS, AND HOW TO HAVE HEALTHY
RELATIONSHIPS AND KNOW THE WARNING SIGNS OF ABUSE OR EXPLOITATION. 

While we’re extremely grateful for all of the intensive advocacy that
resulted in a compromise, this is still a troubling and harming piece of
legislation that was pushed through without appropriate opportunity for
public input. A bill that was sold as improving transparency and
accountability was, ironically, forced through with a shameful _lack_ of
transparency.

As this legislative session comes to a close, we and our partners will
continue to fight on behalf of Texas students and families to ensure access
to medically accurate information about reproductive health. And we are so
grateful for the outpouring of advocacy, which genuinely made a difference.


Onwards!

The Texas Campaign Team
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Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy P.O Box 10357
Austin, Texas 78766

[email protected] / 512-686-8305

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