BOISE, ID – The House overwhelmingly supported a bill banning public school classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Rep. Dale Hawkins said his bill would remove a provision that was mistakenly left in a law enacted last year. The law now allows instruction that’s “age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”

House Bill 516 would remove the age-appropriate allowance, effectively banning all instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity.

“What we are here today to do is to remove this line that has brought confusion because it didn’t belong in the bill in the first place,” said Hawkins, R-Fernwood.

The House approved the proposal nearly along party lines. Rep. Jack Nelsen, R-Jerome, joined nine House Democrats in opposition.

Rep. Chris Mathias, a Boise Democrat, argued that the bill would remove an “enumerated right” of parents to opt in to instruction that’s age-appropriate. Last year, the Legislature passed a law creating a parental opt-in for sex education — including instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity.

But HB 516 would disallow this parental consent, including for lessons on Little v. Hecox, the U.S. Supreme Court case weighing whether Idaho can bar transgender girls from competing in female sports, Mathias said.

“It’s reasonable to conclude that this bill, if we pass it, is going to be an unforced error of epic proportions,” he said.

The bill now heads to the Senate.

Also Tuesday, the House passed a bill requiring the Professional Standards Commission — the state’s educator ethics panel — to report to law enforcement allegations of criminal behavior by teachers and administrators.

Three Boise Democrats opposed House Bill 635  — House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, Assistant Minority Leader Steve Berch and Minority Caucus Chair Monica Church.

The bill also goes to the Senate.