Education and Career Development Committee

Senate Bill 413: Outing transgender youth to parents

2023-02-28 Update: This bill has similar language to House Bill 1608 which has been referred to the Senate, so it may get reconciled with that bill.

Senate Bill 413 prevents teaching K-12 students any information about sexual orientation or gender identity and requires guidance counselors or other student support service staff to notify parents if a student seeks counseling services. Requires notifying all parents of a school if a transgender child is enrolled.

Senate Bill 413
Authored by Sen. Gary Byrne, Sen. Blake Doriot.

DIGEST
Parental rights in education. Requires a governing body of a school corporation to adopt procedures to require schools to notify a parent of an unemancipated minor student regarding the: (1) student’s services, support, or monitoring related to the student’s social emotional, behavioral, mental, or physical health; or (2) school’s ability to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for the student. Establishes requirements and restrictions regarding the procedures. Prohibits school corporation personnel or a third party vendor that contracts with a school corporation from providing instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity: (1) to any students of the school corporation enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12; or (2) in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state law. Establishes requirements regarding: (1) student support services training; (2) notifying parents of social emotional, behavioral, mental, and physical health services or support offered by a school corporation and the parent’s option to withhold consent or decline any of those health services or support; and (3) administering a social emotional, behavioral, mental, or physical health personal analysis or evaluation, questionnaire, screening, survey, or assessment to an unemancipated minor student enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12. Requires a school corporation to notify the parent of each student enrolled in a school maintained by the school corporation if the school corporation permits a student of that school to use a multiple occupancy restroom or locker room that is designated for a sex that is not the student’s biological sex. Requires a school corporation to: (1) establish a grievance procedure for a violation of the provisions; and (2) post the grievance procedure on the school corporation’s website. Provides that a parent who is not satisfied with a decision by a school principal or principal’s designee regarding a complaint by the parent may request the department of education (department) to review the complaint and decision. Provides that a parent of a student may bring a civil action against the school corporation for a violation of the provisions. Requires, not later than May 30, 2024, the department to adopt or update, as necessary and as approved by the state board of education, certain student services, personnel guidelines, standards, frameworks, practices, and principles.

Actions for Senate Bill 413
S 01/19/2023 Senator Doriot added as second author
S 01/19/2023 First reading: referred to Committee on Education and Career Development
S 01/19/2023 Authored by Senator Byrne

Link to PDF of Introduced Bill: SB0413.01.INTR

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Senate Bill 380: Banning identifying as a cat in Indiana

02/28.2023 Update: This bill was heavily amended in the Senate to define graduation measures. The addition of Democratic co-sponsors in the House will like mean the dress code portion of the bill won’t receive much attention.

Analysis: A bill working through the Indiana Senate would reiterate that schools are allowed to enforce dress codes and curb disruptive behavior to address concerns about students identifying as furries. It follows a nationwide wave of claims – none proven – that students are dressing and acting like animals in classrooms.

When introducing the bill in the Senate’s education committee, which Raatz chairs, he said it was to address concerns about students who “may be imitating or were behaving like a furry.”

Senate Bill 380
Introduced Senate Bill (S)
Authored by Sen. Jeff Raatz.

DIGEST
Various education matters. Amends the definition of “graduation” for purposes of the high school graduation rate determination. Allows a school corporation to adopt a policy concerning dress code or disruptive behavior.

UPDATED DIGEST
Synopsis: Various education matters. Requires each school corporation to publish on the school corporation’s website the graduation rate for each high school in the school corporation. Amends the definition of “graduation” for purposes of the high school graduation rate determination. Amends the graduation rate calculation. Removes a provision that provides that not more than 1% of students of a cohort may receive the alterative diploma established by the state board of education. Allows a school corporation to adopt a policy concerning dress code or distractive behavior.

Actions for Senate Bill 380
H 02/28/2023 First reading: referred to Committee on Education
S 02/09/2023 Referred to the House
S 02/07/2023 Senator Breaux added as coauthor
S 02/07/2023 House sponsor: Representative Behning
S 02/07/2023 Third reading: passed; Roll Call 85: yeas 39, nays 10
S 02/06/2023 Senator Donato added as second author
S 02/06/2023 Second reading: ordered engrossed
S 02/02/2023 Committee report: amend do pass, adopted
S 01/19/2023 First reading: referred to Committee on Education and Career Development
S01/19/2023 Authored by Senator Raatz

Link to PDF file of Introduced Bill: SB0380.01.INTR
Link to PDF file of Amended Bill:

References and News articles about this bill:

Indianapolis Star: Indiana lawmaker targets furries in schools. Schools say there’s no problem, Arika Herron

Related Stories: Cat litter boxes in schools? Tony Dungy apologizes for tweet that sparked outrage and backlash

Continue ReadingSenate Bill 380: Banning identifying as a cat in Indiana