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Here are the bills that MassResistance filed this session in the Massachusetts Legislature

All of these bills were written by MassResistance and filed on our behalf.

POSTED: April 17, 2015

Effective Parents' Rights Opt-In Bill

Official title: An Act Regarding Parental Notification and Consent.
Bill #: H439  Committee:Joint Committee on Education

Sponsor: Rep. Joe McKenna Co-sponsors: Reps. Jim Lyons, Shawn Dooley, Marc Lombardo, Donald Humason, Angelo D'Emilia, Donald Berthiaume, Randy Hunt, Kevin Kuros, Nicholas Boldyga

What it does: This bill amends the current parental notification law, Ch. 71 Sec. 32A, written by Parents' Rights Coalition (now MassResistance), expanding upon it and modernizing it to address current conditions. This includes: (1) expanding the range of subjects covered from merely "human sexuality issues" which is poorly defined, to include specific issues actually introduced to children in Massachusetts schools; (2) granting parents the "opt-in" option (similar to other curricula in the schools) instead of "opt-out", which has proven unworkable; (3) allowing a religious exemption to school staff; and (4) removing the Department of Education as the arbiter of disputes.

The bill will effectively help parents deal with the LBGT agenda in the schools by giving parents the right to decide what their children are introduced to regarding sexuality, homosexuality, transgenderism, and similar issues which are now being presented to children in schools across the state. The current notification law does not work and makes it difficult, intimidating, and embarrassing for parents and children in the areas where it does apply. This bill is very specific rather than vague to avoid creating loopholes, which has happened with the current law. More importantly, it changes the current "opt-out" to "opt-in" -- like every other elective in the schools. (Currently, "sexuality" is the only opt-out subject in school curricula.)

Why it's needed: The current law, passed in 1996, has loopholes, unworkable sections, and limitations that have rendered it ineffective. The vagueness of the current law has been cited in court cases as giving schools the leeway to expose a broad range of often graphic sexual, homosexual, and transgender subjects to kids -- even in elementary school -- without parents' knowledge or consent. In recent years this has expanded from "curriculum," into counseling sessions, assemblies, special events, unplanned "teachable moments," and student "gay" clubs -- which the current law does not cover

This situation has become extremely frustrating to parents. For example, in 2006 David Parker, father of a kindergartner, brought a federal civil rights case against the Town of Lexington regarding presenting of homosexual and transgender issues to their 6-year-old son without their knowledge or consent. After nearly three years, the federal judge ruled against them because of the limitations of the current law. Schools have used that ruling to accelerate the homosexual and transgender programs in K-12, free to ignore parents' wishes and religious beliefs.

The "opt-out" mechanism in the current law is easily subverted by school officials in various ways: The schools publish the notifications in unusual places; they make the process onerous and inconvenient for parents; they make it embarrassing and humiliating for children to be taken out of the classes. "Opt-in" is the only fair approach.

Also in the current law, the Department of Education is the arbiter of disputes; that has proven to be a complete disaster because the bureaucrats in the (pro-LGBT) DOE invariably side with the schools over parents. Thus, parents across the state have demanded more rights and protections.

To our knowledge, this is the most effective bill of its kind ever introduced in the US. Unfortunately, homosexual groups in Boston have reacted hysterically when this bill was introduced in the past -- and we predict a similar reaction this time!

Text of bill:

AN ACT REGARDING PARENTAL NOTIFICATION AND CONSENT

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Chapter 71, Section 32A of the General Laws is hereby revised as follows:

Section 32A. Human sexuality education; Requirements for parental notification and consent.

Every city, town, or regional school district, vocational school district, or charter school presenting, implementing, or maintaining school programs involving human sexuality issues and behaviors shall adopt and implement a written policy ensuring parental/guardian notification of such school programs and a description of their content.

All such school programs shall be offered only in clearly identified non-mandatory elective courses, units, or activities in which parents or guardians may choose to enroll their children through written notification to the school, in a manner reasonably similar to other elective courses, units, or activities offered by the school district.

The school shall make available instruction materials and related items with adequate advance notice to parents, guardians, educators, school administrators, and others for inspection and review. Through written request prior to a related special event or assembly held at school, parents or guardians shall be allowed access to monitor its content.

No public school teacher, administrator, or staff member shall be required to participate in any such school programs that violate his religious beliefs.

The term "human sexuality issues and behaviors" includes but is not limited to: sexual education, human reproductive system, pregnancy, contraception, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, promiscuity, homosexuality, bisexuality, lesbianism, transsexuality, transgenderism, cross-dressing, gender re-assignment, sex change, opposite-sex hormone treatments, sodomy, oral sex, anal sex, masturbation, fornication, bestiality, pansexuality, pederasty, prostitution, polygamy, polyandry, bondage and discipline, and sadomasochism. It also includes issues, concepts, and relationships deriving from those issues and behaviors, including but not limited to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender stereotype, alternative parenting models, and non-traditional marriage and family constructs.

The term "school programs" includes but is not limited to any school sanctioned activity, or portion thereof directed toward students, whether on or off campus, whether during or outside school hours, whether organized, presented or directed by school employees, agents of the school, students, volunteers, outside presenters, or others.

Such school programs include, but are not limited to, classes, curriculum, assemblies, outside speakers, workshops, theater productions, recognized student clubs, teacher/staff organizations meeting in the school including students, private or non-private counseling sessions, materials displayed or available in staff offices or classrooms, teachable moments, suggested or recommended (non-required) reading lists or assignments, videos, exhibits, posters, displays, public announcements, and handouts.

 

Bill to protect children from intrusive school surveys on personal issues

Official title: An act regarding surveys in public schools schools.
Bill #: H382  Committee:Joint Committee on Education

Sponsors: Rep. Colleen Garry  Co-sponsors: Reps. Keiko Orrall, Nicholas Boldyga, Jose Tosado, Benjamin Swan; Sen. Ryan Fattman

What it does: Requires parental notification and consent for questionnaires, surveys, and similar evaluations given to schoolchildren regarding certain private, personal and family issues.

Why it's needed: Currently, thousands of students in middle schools and high schools are asked to fill out surveys on private, personal issues without their parents’ knowledge or consent. The surveys include questions about heterosexual and homosexual activity, sexual orientation, drug use, criminal activity, personal questions about family members, suicidal feelings and attempts, violence, etc. See some sample questions HERE. (Note: Most states are administering similar surveys.)

A major concern has been the psychologically intrusive nature of these surveys, which radical groups use to soften childrens' perceptions of dangerous activities. For example, a battery of questions asking "how many times" a child has engaged in certain sex acts or drug use may make the child believe he is abnormal if he is not doing it at all.

And by using leading questions, the surveys also create misleading "statistics" to persuade politicians to design state policies around, and to give radical special interest groups more taxpayer money for school programs. The surveys are not scientifically grounded –- relying on self-reporting by teenagers -– yet are being used to design state policies.

Many of these are administered by the Dept. of Elementary & Secondary Education (Youth Risk Behavior Survey) and the Dept. of Public Health (Mass. Youth Health Survey). About 9,000 students took the state surveys in 2011. In addition, many local school systems administer these (or similar) surveys on their own. This bill would make all such surveys "opt-in" by parents.

This bill would also prevent school personnel from administering similar individual "mental health screenings" without parental consent.

Text of bill:

AN ACT REGARDING SURVEYS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby revised as follows, with the addition of Section 32B:

Section 32B. Student surveys regarding personal or private issues; Requirements for parental notification and consent

No student in any public elementary or secondary school, without the prior written consent of the parent or guardian, shall be requested or required to submit to a survey, analysis, or evaluation concerning personal issues including, but not limited to: (1) emotional and psychological concerns or issues, whether concerning the student or his family (including “mental health screenings”); (2) sexual behavior and attitudes; (3) illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating or demeaning behaviors; (4) feelings of victimization; (5) suicide attempts or ideation, or self-abuse; (6) birth control or abortion; (7) critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondent has family relationships; (8) legally recognized privileged or analogous relationships, such as those with lawyers, physicians, therapists, and ministers; (9) political affiliations; or (10) income.

This will apply to all such surveys whether from a state or federal agency, whether administered in a classroom setting, by a school counselor, a school nurse, or school-based health center staff member. All such screenings, surveys, analyses, and evaluations shall be shall be made reasonably available with adequate advance notice to parents, guardians, educators, school administrators, and others for inspection and review prior to being administered.

 

Bill to eliminate the "Commission on Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Youth"

Official title: An Act protecting children and parents
Bill #: H2781  Committee: Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight

Sponsor: Rep. Marc Lombardo Co-Sponsor: Rep. Jose Tosado

What it does: It repeals the law which created the "Commission on Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Youth". That law was passed in a particularly dishonest manner -- as a budget item in 2006, in order to avoid having to hold a public hearing and normal debate -- because of the extremely offensive and controversial nature of this Commission.

This Commission includes homosexual and transgender activists from across the state who work unsupervised with public school children K-12 designing and leading homosexual and transgender related programs events in schools and off campus. The Commission advances homosexual, bisexual, and transgender programs in the public schools (including “Gay-Straight Alliance” clubs in middle and high schools) and also directs teens to GLBT advocacy and support groups (BAGLY, GLSEN, PFLAG, GLAD). The horrible things this commission has done with children are almost beyond description.

Why it's needed: Many of these Commission-promoted activities are extremely graphic, explicit, and dangerous, and often include other homosexual, transgender, and even sadomasochist activists mingling with kids. There is no oversight to this commission, and their activities over the last few years have outraged parents and even public officials. In 2010 one adult commission member was arrested for soliciting homosexual sex from a minor. Earlier, another commissioner faced accusations of soliciting sex from college students. In 2009, the Commission even had "Mr. Boston Leather" (a homosexual sadomasochist) greet teens (and hand out his "business card") at the BAGLY prom ending Youth Pride Day.

Other examples of the many events with children by Commission members include this "Youth Pride" parade and the distribution of this dangerous flyer, along with homosexual condoms.

Incredibly, this state-funded Commission directs millions of dollars of taxpayer money. While $100K of state funding in FY2013 is earmarked specifically for the Commission (staffed mostly by volunteer LGBT activists), most of their efforts are funded in larger unspecified amounts and implemented via the Departments of Education and Public Health and other state agencies. One of its member sub-groups, BAGLY, also receives separate funding.

Thus, in addition to its work with schools, the Commission advocates and coordinates radical GLBT programs throughout many state agencies. No other state has such a commission, and Massachusetts should not, either.

Text of bill:

RELATIVE TO THE PROTECTION OF PARENTS AND CHILDREN

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 3 of the General Laws is hereby amended by repealing Section 67.

Two girls at an off-campus "Youth Pride" event put on by Commission members. Kids were bussed from their schools to attend. [MassResistance photo]