Journalist: Lina Quinones (TCC)
Oklahoma Intercollegiate legislators first session of the 57th legislator over the course we’ll see house bill number TCC 503 otherwise known as the “Comprehensive Sex-Ed Act” of 2025.
This bill is authored by House Representative representative Walters (TCC), who seeks to better the education surrounding sex ed within Oklahoma by expanding the education surrounding it.
Currently within Oklahoma state law schools are not required to teach sex education. But within Oklahoma statues 70 – 11 – 103.3 and 70 – 11 – 105.1 schools have to provide medically accurate education on the prevention of HIV and AIDS. But even this is limited to how much they can discuss these two diseases. They can only discuss the prevention of it.
Continuing this Oklahoma state law has no requirement of other sexual orientations or gender to be taught during these sex ed classes. The only mention of homosexuality within this sex education is that engaging in such activities will then lead to the AIDs/HIV virus. This contradicts the medically accurate education that they must provide.
One of the others focuses that sex-ed can discuss within Oklahoma is consent and abstinence. Well usually this is a basic level of understanding, it is still something they must primarily instruct on.
One of the things that is also required is an “opt out” policy. Which essentially means parents who do not want their child within these classes are allowed to submit a written letter, telling the teacher that they do not want their child to participate in these classes.
Currently Oklahoma is ranked fourth in teen pregnancies for the ages of 15 to 19 years in 2021. This means currently the state is having 24.1 births per 1000 females between those ages which is significantly higher than what is currently the national rate, 13.9.
According to Oklahoma State Department of Health “Teens need to have access to medically accurate, comprehensive information to help them make responsible decisions for their future”
House Bill TCC 501 wants to fill in the gaps where Oklahoma seems to be currently lacking in sexual education.