Truth In Advertising Sex Education Bill

House Bill 3473

Be Pro-active

Teen Aid has joined with other abstinence educators and pregnancy support centers within Washington State to assist parents in making informed decisions about sexuality education.

House Bill 3473 is the Truth in Advertising Sex Education Bill.

1) The state receives funding for abstinence education under the Welfare Reform Act promoting Personal Responsibility. Because the state receives these federal funds, it only makes sense to use the federal definition for abstinence education. When HB3473 (click here to see the text of the bill) passes, local school districts will label their current program as a comprehensive program or as an abstinence program using guidelines developed by the federal government for abstinence education. HB3473 keeps control of programs at the local level. This bill will not change programs it only requires labeling in a more consumer friendly manner.

2) House Bill 3473 does not require any tax dollars for additional bureaucracy.

The Censorship, “Medical Accuracy” Bill

The alternative to HB3473 with local control is the one being pushed by Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Action League. Their bill makes the State Health Department the “expert” instead of local committee members and parents. It also puts the department in a position of having to review all curricula for all the grade levels in the state. This will be costly.

The health department cannot reflect community standards. The department will control the content of curriculum for every school district. This is censorship.

For the last two years, the Washington State Legislature has opposed requiring “medical accuracy” to be determined by the health department for two reasons.

1) The term “medical accuracy” is misleading because it truly intends to censor materials based on the “safe sex- condom” philosophical approach. What has happened in HIV/AIDS education will be repeated. (By the way, AIDS is still increasing in Washington State.) Materials will be banned from use if they do not agree with the local district’s philosophy and chosen program. Their bill would lead to lawsuits, misinformation and children taking risks.

2) Tax dollars are scarce and their bill would require extensive review by trained physicians to assess updated medical facts. (Remember, doctors disagree and allow more than one opinion but their bill would not.) Their bill would not allow medical updating without additional expenditures for reviewing materials each year.

Please contact your local legislators and give them the facts on HB3473, The Truth in Advertising Bill:

• It costs nothing.

• It has local control and requires no changes in curriculum.

• It only requires that school districts accurately label programs.

For more information about Medical Accuracy click here.