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New law requires notice of sex topics

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On Monday, April 17 Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bill that requires parental notification at least two weeks before any course material "used for instruction of human sexuality or human sexual education." 

"It is important to let parents know what students are learning and this bill encourages clear and open lines of communication regarding curriculum content in this important area," said Sununu.

"There are always going to be political forces seeking to deny parental rights, so we are especially pleased that the House, Senate and Governor came together to assure that parental rights remain a priority," said Shannon McGinley, a board member of the conservative nonprofit Cornerstone Action. 

State law already gives parents the power to pull their students from a lesson if they object to course material.

Bill opponents argued that school districts already voluntarily notify parents of upcoming sexual education. This bill, however, could affect far more than health class. Depending on how the law is interpreted, English teachers might have to notify parents about sexual scenes in literature. Teachers might feel obligated to stop impromptu class discussions about topics related to sex.

Opponents of the bill included the New Hampshire School Boards Association, the New Hampshire School Administrators Association, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.

When we asked our community about this bill last December, about two-thirds of commenters supported the bill. We presented those comments to legislators considering this issue. Click here to see our report

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