Schools & Education

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

House Bill 1346: Promoting harassment of gender non-conforming students

Update:

Students are not allowed to request that teachers or school employees or other students use a name that is different from their birth certificate, or any pronouns or gender identifiers that are different from their identified genitalia: “‘sex’ means an individual’s biological sex as either male or female: based on the individual’s genetics and reproductive biology at birth, including sex organs, chromosomes, and hormones.” For trans young people who have undergone a social gender transition, this forces them out of the closet. Parents of trans children will be deterred from moving to Indiana because they might be required to submit a birth certificate or genital inspection of their child. Any child who doesn’t conform to strict gender norms is subject to genital inspection or demands for documentation.

House Bill 1346
Authored by Rep. Jake Teshka.
Co-Authored by Rep. Joanna King, Rep. Martin Carbaugh, Rep. Timothy Wesco.

DIGEST
Gender fluidity. Provides that a school may not promote or encourage the use of, or require, compel, or coerce a student, an employee of the school, or a staff member of the school to use: (1) a pronoun, title, or other word to identify a student, school employee, or other individual that is inconsistent with the student’s, employee’s, or individual’s biological sex; or (2) a name or nickname to identify a student that is inconsistent with the student’s name on the student’s birth certificate. Creates an exception. Provides that a school may not require an employee or a staff member of the school to adopt, support, or promote gender fluidity.

Actions for House Bill 1346
H 01/17/2023 First reading: referred to Committee on Education
H 01/17/2023 Coauthored by Representatives King, Carbaugh, Wesco
H 01/17/2023 Authored by Representative Teshka

Link to PDF File of Introduced Bill: HB1346.01.INTR

Continue ReadingHouse Bill 1346: Promoting harassment of gender non-conforming students