Arizona governor issues Executive Order on sex education

PHOENIX, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Gov. Doug Ducey, (R-Ariz.), issued an Executive Order Tuesday requiring all sex education curriculum to be posted online for parents to review, without exception.

Ducey vetoed Senate Bill 1456, after issuing the Order, because it didn't include the aggressive transparency he was looking for. It made posting curriculum optional. Now it is not.

The order requires the State Board of Education to adopt the following requirements by June 30, 2021:

• All meetings held for the purposes of reviewing and selecting the sex education course of study must be publicly noticed at least two weeks before occurring and be open to the public.
• Any proposed sex education course of study must be available and accessible for review and public comment for at least sixty days before the governing board or governing body decides whether to approve that course of study.
• At least two public hearings within the sixty-day period before the governing board or governing body approves any course of study must be conducted. 
• Once a course of study has been approved, a school district or charter school shall make the sex education curricula available for parental review, both online and in-person at least two weeks before any instruction is offered. 
• Any existing sex education course of study must be made available and accessible for review both online and in person.

Read Gov. Ducey's full Executive Order on sex education here

Arizona is one of only five states nationwide that require parents to "opt-in" to sex education courses, rather than requiring them to "opt-out." Ducey believes his order provides more clear information on which parents can make their decisions.

“Arizona is and will remain a national leader in parental rights,” the Governor said. “Too often, parents are left out of this process, and the importance is even greater when it comes to educating students about deeply personal matters like sex education. This Executive Order ensures that parents are in the driver’s seat when it comes to overseeing the education of their children.”

RELATED: AZ Senate bill revises sex education rules in classrooms

Gov. Ducey vetoed SB 1456 after issuing the order. The governor said he felt the measure was overly broad and vague. He said he had concerns the legislation could put vulnerable children at risk by limiting discussion around sexual abuse prevention.