Senate To Vote On Bill That Would Mandate How Local School Districts Teach Sex

BOSTON — With a Senate vote looming Thursday on a controversial sex education bill, lawmakers have offered a flurry of amendments — most notably Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester), submitted an "opt-in" measure, making the courses an elective and meaning that children can't participate in the coursework without parental approval.

The Senate had previously passed a near-identical form of the legislation 32-6 in November 2015, but the House did not take up the bill prior to the end of the legislative session, effectively scuttling the measure. The proposal has drawn outrage from conservative groups such as the Massachusetts Family Institute for a variety of reasons, including elements of the proposed curriculum claiming that education on matters such as anal sex are "age-appropriate" for 12-year-olds.