Bill Status
Comprehensive Family Life and Sexuality Education Bill
House File 2546
H.F. 2546 was introduced in the House on February 26, 2004 and referred to the House Education Policy Committee.
The House Education Policy Committee has currently not scheduled a hearing for this bill.
Senate File 2443
S.F. 2443 was introduced in the Senate on March 1, 2004 and referred to the Senate Education Committee.
The Senate Education Committee was scheduled to hear the bill on March 4, 2004 at 3:30 in State Capitol Room 15. The bill was not heard and has been laid over.
The Senate Education Committee heard the bill on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 at 3:30 in State Capitol Room 15. S.F.2443 was passed as amended and referred to the Senate Finance Committee K-12 Education Budget Division.
On April 5 the Senate Education Committee voted to include the Comprehensive Family Life and Sexuality Education bill language in the Senate Omnibus Education Policy bill (S.F. 1774).
The Senate Omnibus Education Policy bill (S.F. 1774) will be heard in the Senate Finance committee on April 15 at 9:00 am. S.F. 1774 is expected to come before the whole Senate in the upcoming week. A possible amendment to add an abstinence-only-until-marriage provision may also arise on the Senate floor.
The Senate Omnibus Education Policy bill was removed from the April 15 agenda of the Finance committee due to financial concerns related to legislation in the bill, not related to comprehensive sexuality education. The bill will hopefully be heard by the Finance committee during the week of April 19 and then move to the Senate floor in the upcoming weeks.
The Senate Omnibus Education Policy bill (S.F. 1774) was scheduled to be heard in the Senate Finance committee on April 27, however, it was pulled from the agenda again for the third time. Fiscal concerns, not related to the comprehensive sexuality education legislation, are the cause for the delay.
The Senate Education Omnibus Policy bill (S.F. 1774), which contains the Comprehensive Family Life and Sexuality Education Bill language was finally passed through the Senate Finance Committee during the week of May 3. However, this legislation is not included in the House Education Omnibus bill (H.F. 1793). On May 10, the Education Omnibus Conference Committee, consisting of five members of the House and five members of the Senate, began meeting to work out the differences that exist between S.F. 1774 and H.F. 1793.
The Education Omnibus Conference Committee members are:
Senate Members:
Sen. Steve Kelley
Sen. Rod Skoe
Sen. David Tomassoni
Sen. Sharon Marko
Sen. Tom Neuville
House Members:
Rep. Alice Seagren
Rep. Barb Sykora
Rep. Jeff Johnson
Rep. Karen Klinzing
Rep. Bud Nornes
Before the end of the 2004 Legislative session on May 17, the Education Omnibus Conference Committee passed a "barebones" education omnibus bill, which unfortunately did not include the comprehensive sexuality education provisions. However, no provisions were introduced to weaken the current statute on sexual health education in the state.
