Maine Senate gives initial approval to Sen. Daughtry bill to invest in Maine’s comprehensive sexual education curriculum

AUGUSTA – On Thursday, Feb. 22, the Maine Senate gave initial approval to a bill from Sen. Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick. LD 254, “An Act to Update the Sex Education and Consent Curriculum,” would invest in Maine’s comprehensive sexual education curriculum.

“This bill does not change the sex education curriculum in Maine. Instead, it would provide a critical investment in the sex ed curriculum that is on the books, but has suffered from a decade of flat funding,” said Sen. Daughtry. “When I met with organizations and teachers, I learned that some schools are using outdated materials because they cannot afford to print the up-to-date ones. If the subject were history or math, then I know that we would find the money and the resources to provide the best materials available for Maine students.”

LD 254 would allocate $500,000 in ongoing funding to the Department of Health and Human Services to maintain their contracts with service providers, such as Maine Family Planning, that help provide comprehensive sex education. These services include: increasing prevention education staff; developing and distributing sexual health curricula; expanding access to professional development opportunities for Maine educators and school staff; and expanding access to sexual health education to engage parents, youth, and under-served populations, including the LGBTQ+ community. These services have been flat-funded for years.

During the public hearing for the bill, Lynette Johnson from Maine Family Planning said, “Maine law and Maine’s health education standards require medically accurate and age-appropriate comprehensive family life education. Research shows that comprehensive sexual health education works [by] empowering youth to make healthy, informed, and responsible decisions about their bodies and relationships. Comprehensive and inclusive sex ed is critical to improve the lives and well-being of all young people.”

The Maine Developmental Disabilities Council, the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the Maine Medical Association, Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights, the ACLU of Maine, and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England also testified in favor of the bill during the public hearing.

The bill faces additional votes in the House and Senate.

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