Sex Ed Passes Washington Senate

Planned Parenthood Urging House To Pass Senate Bill

OLYMPIA, WA - More Washington students may soon have access to comprehensive, medically accurate sex education. Today the State Senate passed by a vote of 28 to 21 Senator Claire Wilson’s bill, SB 5395, to require Washington’s public schools to offer sex education programs

“Washington is now one step closer to ensuring our young people get the information they need for their health, relationships, and life goals. Thank you to Senator Wilson for her insightful leadership - she knows young people deserve to have the information, resources, and skills they need to protect their health and build their future, without shame or judgment,” explained Courtney Normand, Washington State Director, PPVNH. “It is now up to the House to pass this bill and ensure students’ access to sex ed is not dependent on which zipcode they live in.”

BACKGROUND: PPVNH strongly supports SB 5395 because it will:

• Make sex education that is comprehensive and medically accurate mandatory in all public schools.

• Require that curriculum be inclusive for all students, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

• Require components on affirmative consent and healthy relationships as part of the comprehensive sex education curriculum.

• Require school districts to report on the sex education they are providing so that our state can continue to improve the quality of programming in the future.

A 2018 poll found that approximately 3 out of 5 Washington voters support requiring comprehensive sex education and expanding existing curriculum in schools (poll available upon request).

Opt-outs are already permitted for parents and guardians who choose not to have their youth participate; the proposed legislation does not change this.

Chris Reykdal, Superintendent of Public Instruction, supports SB 5395.

Sex Education Bill Fact Sheet can be found here.