House Bill 4007, introduced by Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, would require sex education curriculum in grades 6-12 to include material on the legal and social risks of sharing sexually explicit images, messages and videos.
“This is something that a lot of our students are dealing with and are partaking in without really understanding what the consequences could be,” West said.
Issues surrounding sexting that would be required in curriculum include long-term consequences, bullying and harassment, resisting peer pressure and using the Internet safely. Lessons would also have to highlight school and community officials who students can reach out to with a problem.
“There’s no telling what our children are doing on their phones,” West said, “so instead of trying to intrude into their privacy, let’s just make sure they’re educated on even the things that make us adults uncomfortable.”
The bill defines sexting as “sending, sharing, receiving, or forwarding a sexually explicit or sexually suggestive image, video, or text message by a digital or electronic device, including, but not limited to, a mobile or cellular telephone or a computer.”
New Jersey’s law, signed in 2018, requires schools to teach the “social, emotional, and legal consequences” of sexting.
The Los Angeles Unified School District, America’s second-largest, added the risks and consequences of sexting to its curriculum in 2015.
Driver says including sexting in sex education is a “smart response” to a growing practice.
“Young people generally think short term, in the immediate, and so providing the education before it becomes punitive … is a very responsible way to address sexting,” she said.
A 2018 study of 110,000 teenagers published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found 15 percent had sent sexts and 27 percent had received them. Twelve percent also admitted to sending a sext of someone else without their consent.
Sexting between minors is illegal in 25 states including Illinois, according to a 2018 analysis by the Cyberbullying Research Center. Illinois law forbids minors from sharing sexual images and videos of themselves via any electronic method, such as texting, social media and smartphone apps. The penalty is usually community service or counseling.
Illinois is one of 24 states plus the District of Columbia that require sex education. School codes require sex education lessons in Illinois to be age-appropriate, evidence-based and medically accurate. Parents have the option to take their children out of class if they object to the material.
“It is my hope that schools will be understanding of this because this is one thing that we really can’t control,” West said.
Ben Schwarm, deputy executive director of the Illinois Association of School Boards, predicts his organization will oppose the bill once it is assigned to a committee.
“We oppose all new curricular mandates. It has just really grown out of control,” he said.
Schwarm calls the bill unnecessary because school codes already mandate instruction on related topics like Internet safety and cyberbullying.
West, however, said he does not believe it would be an unnecessary mandate.
“We’re just simply saying we need to acknowledge the elephant that’s in the room,” he said.
West said sexting has already come up among a group of middle school boys he mentors.
“I’m telling them the ramifications to it and telling them how, though you may feel that this is pretty cool now, it can be detrimental later,” he said.
“But that’s just with six boys that I mentor. There’s a lot more out there that may not be getting that same kind of guidance.”
Driver said she agrees that sex education should meet young people where they are.
“I think very much how we’re trying to keep up with technology, we need to be keeping up with sex education at the same time so that one doesn’t happen without the other,” she said.
West introduced the bill in December and is reaching out to fellow lawmakers from both sides of the aisle for support as the General Assembly prepares for its 2020 session beginning Jan. 28.
15 new laws in Illinois for 2020
Vehicle fees
If you drive you already know you’re paying higher gasoline taxes in order to help pay for road construction projects. But that isn’t the end of it. Some other fees approved by lawmakers to pay for those projects kick in Jan. 1, including license plate fees that increase by $50 to $151 a year.
Fees for electric cars are going up to $248 a year, from the $35 every two years now in effect. And if you park those cars in a commercial lot or garage, you could end up paying a new parking tax.
HOGP
Traffic fines
Several traffic fines are going up in the new year. The fine is increasing to $250 for failing to reduce speed and move over when emergency vehicles are on the highway. Also, the fine for failing to reduce speed and move over in a construction zone is going from $10,000 to $25,000.
The fine for passing a school bus that is stopped and has its visual signals displayed is doubling this year. A first offense will cost a violator $300 instead of $150. Do it again, and it will cost $1,000 instead of $500.
Religious crimes
Murdering someone engaged in prayer or other religious activities at a place of worship will be a factor in sentencing or other increased penalties. Committing an assault or battery under the same circumstances will be subject to enhanced penalties.
Changing tables
Public restrooms will have to be more accommodating of infants who need a new diaper. Restrooms designated for women and those designated for men will need to have at least one diaper changing table. A bathroom for use by both genders also will be required to have one.
Danny Johnston
Ethnic village
The spot on the State Fairgrounds to sample all sorts of ethnic cuisine will get a new name. It’s being retitled the “Village of Cultures” which was deemed to sound more inclusive.
Information protection
Privacy protections are being extended to direct-to-consumer commercial genetic testing kits that people can now purchase. The company selling the tests cannot share information from the results with health or life insurance companies without the consent of the person tested.
Another new law will require “expedient time” reporting of data breaches that affect more than 500 Illinois residents.
Mental health
In response to a number of suicides by law enforcement officers, new police officers will get instruction in how to recognize work-related stress and other issues that can lead to suicide. They also will be trained in how to help a person showing signs of distress.
Inmate expenses
The Department of Corrections no longer will be able to sue inmates to recover the cost of their imprisonment.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Sexual harassment
Public and private employers will be required to give employees training to combat workplace sexual harassment. The new law also prohibits private employers from requiring employees to sign non-disclosure agreements covering sexual harassment situations. Some hotel and casino employees will also have to be equipped with devices that can alert security if a person needs assistance.
John J. Kim
Pharmacy benefit managers
New regulations go into effect covering pharmacy benefit managers that negotiate drug prices for health insurers. The regulations are intended to curb practices where the managers manipulate prices to eliminate competition, something that has hurt independent pharmacies that serve largely rural areas.
Toby Talbot
No watching movies while driving
You’re not supposed to talk on the cell phone when you drive. Lawmakers have added to that that you shouldn’t watch streaming videos while you drive.
Deferred compensation
Newly hired state employees will be automatically enrolled in the state’s deferred compensation system, a program that is a supplement to the state pension system. Employees can opt out, but if they don’t, 3 percent of their salary will go into the plan.
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January 8, 2020 at 06:44PM
The Holidays are best spent at home and with family, but what about those who don’t have that same luxury? Local legislators are doing their part to spread Christmas cheer.
Working for Illinois Caucus 