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Julia Strehlow of the Chicago Children s Advocacy Center speaks about the REACH Act to members of the Illinois House committee for curriculum and policies in elementary and secondary education.
A bill requiring updated sex education standards in Illinois public schools has advanced out of the Elementary and Secondary Education Committee on School Curriculum and Policies in the Illinois House. The vote fell along party lines.
If the Responsible Education for Adolescent and Children s Health Act, or the REACH Act, becomes law, Illinois would join 30 other states already requiring sex ed. The curriculum under the bill would vary depending on grade level.
Updated 3/17/2021 3:10 PM
SPRINGFIELD An Illinois House committee advanced a bill Wednesday that would mandate all public school districts in the state provide a comprehensive, age-appropriate curriculum on sex education, sexual abuse awareness and healthy relationships for all grades, K-12.
Illinois currently has a law that leaves the option of teaching sex education up to the discretion of local school districts, but House Bill 1736, dubbed the Responsible Education for Adolescents and Children Act, would make it mandatory.
This whole idea came about because students were reaching out and asking for this in their curriculum, Rep. Kathleen Willis, an Addison Democrat and the bill s chief sponsor, said during a virtual hearing. There are many schools that do not have this, and that is one of the most important things and one of the reasons I jumped on board.
Suburban lawmakers split on party lines on requiring protocols for awareness and prevention of youth suicide in K-12 schools. Local Republicans worried the legislation would add liability to school districts, while suburban Democrats backed the legislation unanimously.
House Democrat hopes to increase awareness and prevention of youth suicide
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Recent studies show suicide is the second-leading cause of death for young people ages 10 to 24. An Illinois lawmaker hopes to provide more protection for students most at risk.
Rep. Lindsey LaPointe (D-Chicago) wants to make minor changes to a 2015 law that required the Illinois State Board of Education to create a youth suicide awareness and prevention policy. It also required ISBE to develop and post educational materials and resources for suicide prevention. While Ann Marie’s law significantly helped the state move in a positive direction for students, it didn’t address which youth fall into groups at a higher risk for suicide.