Utah Legislature Passes Abstinence Education Bill

March 10, 2012

A bill mandating that schools teach abstinence education or nothing at all is one step away from becoming law in Utah after the state Senate passed it on a 19-10 vote March 6, WORLD News Service reports. Under HB 363, schools that choose to teach sex education are not allowed to give detailed instructions on intercourse, homosexuality, contraception or sex outside of marriage, but rather must teach children that sexual abstinence until marriage is the healthiest choice. State Rep. Bill Wright based the bill on the premise that parents -- not teachers or representatives from Planned Parenthood -- are best suited to teach children the things they feel they need to know. The state House of Representatives passed it on a 45-28-2 vote in late February; Gov. Gary Herbert has not indicated whether he will sign the law when it reaches his desk.