Important State House Hearings, May 14th! Save the Date.

Linda Thayer, MCFL Vice-President of Educational Affairs has alerted us to a number of bills at the State House which are important to bringing up our children with pro-life principles and protecting them from exploitation by the pro-death lobby.  These bills will be heard on May 14th.  Your testimony in person is ideal.  If you are not able to be there in person on the 14th, your written testimony is still very important. Please: 1.  Mark your calendar 2.  Read the bills with Linda's analysis and decide what really interests you 3.  Start thinking about your arguments pro or con I'll get back to you with more specifics in a few days.  As Linda says, parents don't send their children to school to learn how to get an abortion without the parents' knowing.  Anne   BILLS REGARDING SEXUALITY EDUCATION AND THE SCHOOLS 2013-2014    THESE ARE BILLS WE SUPPORT   HB 333 "An Act regarding parental notification and consent" Beaton (R) Hearing Date: May 14 Makes school programs involving sexuality issues an elective requiring written parental permission Makes materials used accessible to parents Defines human sexuality issues and behaviors Protects religious rights of teachers and school staff not to participate in programs that violate their beliefs Includes sexuality issues covered in any activity or portion of an activity directed to students    [counseling sessions and confidentiality?] HB 466 "An Act requiring parental consent on sex education in public schools" Poirier (R) Hearing date: May 14 Makes sex ed programs, curriculua, units of study and activities an elective requiring written parental permission Protects religious rights of teachers and school staff not to participate in programs that violate their beliefs HB 431 "An Act relative to parental notification" Jones (R) Hearing Date: May 14 Makes programs primarily* involved with sexuality education and issues an elective requiring written parental permission Makes materials used accessible to parents Protects religious rights of teachers and school staff not to participate in programs that violate their beliefs *the word primarily may allow controversial material to be embedded in other areas of instruction; for example "Accessing Community Health Care Resources" HB 440 "An Act regarding parental notification and consent" Lombardo (R) Hearing Date: May 14 Makes sexuality education an elective requiring written parental permission Defines "school program" and "alternative sexual behavior" [counseling sessions and confidentiality?] Makes materials used accessible to parents Protects religious rights of teachers and school staff not to participate in programs that violate their beliefs Requires parental permission for students to participate in surveys that invade personal and family privacy HB 452 "An Act regarding surveys in public schools" Orrall (R) Hearing Date: May 30 Requires parental permission for students to participate in surveys that invade personal and family privacy    THESE ARE BILLS WE OPPOSE HB 421 "An Act relative to comprehensive health education in schools" Henriquez (D) Hearing Date: May 14 Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Curriculum Framework construed as a guide for local districts in the development and selection of curriculum, textbooks and instructional materials SB 202 "An Act providing health education in schools" Chandler (D) Hearing Date:  May 14 Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Curriculum Framework construed as a guide for local districts in the development and selection of curriculum, textbooks and instructional materials HB 366 "An Act relative to providing health education in schools" Decker (D) Hearing Date: May 14 Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Curriculum Framework construed as a guide for local districts in the development and selection of curriculum, textbooks and instructional materials HB 388 "An Act relative to comprehensive sexual education and violence prevention programs" Fox (D) Hearing Date: May 14 …ensures youth have access to … resources that help them make healthy and safe decisions Requires condom use and STI prevention be taught within health curriculums calls for a report on the provision of health education by schools calls for a count on the number of students who opt out of sex ed Does not seek to determine whether schools have notified parents explicitly as to sex ed content HB 450 "An Act relative to healthy youth" O'Day (D) Hearing Date: May 14 Sexual Health education shall…stress the importance of effectively using contraceptives and barrier methods to prevent unintended pregnancy and STI's Teach the students the skills to effectively negotiate and implement safer sexual activity Information on abstinence may not be provided separate from information on contraceptives and disease prevention Sex ed must be consistent with the Massachusetts Comprehensive Health curriculum framework establish a procedure to enable parents to bring to the attention of the department any sexual health curriculum or program which they believe is inconsistent with the requirements of this act counts the number of students who opt out of sexual heal ed Does not seek to determine whether schools have notified parents explicitly as to sex ed content SB 209 "An Act relative to healthy youth" Clark (D) Hearing Date: May 14 Sexual Health education shall…stress the importance of effectively using contraceptives and barrier methods to prevent unintended pregnancy and STI's Teach the students the skills to effectively negotiate and implement safer sexual activity Information on abstinence may not be provided separate from information on contraceptives and disease prevention Sex ed must be consistent with the Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Curriculum Framework establish a procedure to enable parents to bring to the attention of the department any sexual health curriculum or program which they believe is inconsistent with the requirements of this act counts the number of students who opt out of sexual heal ed Does not seek to determine whether schools have notified parents explicitly as to sex ed content HB 522 "An Act regarding an analysis of health education in the commonwealth" Walz (D) Hearing Date; May 14 Checks whether school curricula are in alignment with the Massachusetts Comprehensive Health curriculum framework Counts number of student who opt out Does not seek to determine whether schools have notified parents explicitly as to sex ed content HB 2092 "An act relative to consent and counseling" Story (D) Hearing Date: -- ----- Would lower the age of consent for a minor's abortion from 18 to 16 Consent for a minor's abortion could be given by certain family members over the age of 25 Consent for a minor's abortion could be given by physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, psychologist, social workers   (in school)