(INDIANAPOLIS) - A bill that would expand what Indiana schools teach about "good citizenship" is moving to the House after clearing the Indiana Senate, according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle.
Senate Bill 88 passed the Senate on a 39-9 vote. The proposal would require schools to include instruction on finishing high school, securing full-time employment and waiting until marriage to have children -- a framework supporters call the "Success Sequence."
Republican author Sen. Gary Byrne says the approach is backed by research showing young adults who follow those steps are far less likely to live in poverty. He argues the bill gives students clearer pathways to long-term stability and opportunity.
The bill would add those concepts to an existing list of citizenship principles already required in public schools. It would also require Indiana public colleges and universities to accept the Classic Learning Test as an alternative to the SAT or ACT.
Democrats opposed the measure, arguing it injects judgment into classrooms and could negatively affect students from diverse family backgrounds. Sen. Shelli Yoder questioned whether the new requirements add value beyond what schools already teach.
Despite the debate, the bill passed with strong Republican support and now heads to the Indiana House for consideration.