A bill to make school staff mandatory reporters when children discuss issues of gender identity/sexuality passes out of committee

A bill which would turn public school staff members into mandatory reporters should a student discuss with them issues of gender identity or sexuality passed out of the House Education Committee Monday on a narrow 8-7 vote. A mandatory reporter is someone who must report to an authority or face legal consequences. In this case, school staff would need to alert parents if a student expressed issues with their gender identity or sexuality. The bill is sponsored by District 1 Representative Logan Manhart. Proponents of the bill argue it is a way to make sure parents know about important issues their children may be dealing with while opponents argue it could put some children in danger if parents are not accepting of different lifestyles.