MADISON, Wis. (WRN) — Legislation requiring child sexual abuse prevention programming in Wisconsin K-12 schools advances.
The bill was approved Wednesday by the Assembly Committee on Children and Families, where Appleton Democrat Lee Snodgrass noted it would not apply to private schools.
“And if we do legitimately have concerns about protecting children, we should include all children in the state of Wisconsin,” Snodgrass said.
Oconomowoc Republican Barb Dittrich didn’t disagree while citing the recent case of a school bus driver accused of sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl on his bus.
“We’ve got to teach kids safety at an appropriate age and this bill is is the start of something very positive,” Dittrich said.
The bill requires school boards to provide at least one instructional session to pupils in 4K through grade 12, specifies what that program must cover, and requires that parents be notified and given the option to exempt their students.