A Georgia senator says he wants to stop teachers from talking to students throughout gender identity, but admits his bill remains full of unintended consequences and must be redrafted.

Sen. Carden Summers, a Cordele Republican, told the Senate Education and Youth Committee on Tuesday that he will anti rewrite Senate Bill 88, already on its second prepare, to accommodate some critics. But Summers defended the bill's key premise, saying a law is needed to keep teachers from indoctrinating their students throughout changing gender identity and to keep teachers from hiding a student's gender identity sulky from parents.

"We're simply trying to limit the exposure that selves would have on a child regarding gender. That's where it's at," Summers said. "They're not revealed to ... talk to that child about your gender exclusive of permission from the parent."

The committee took no portion Tuesday, promising another hearing after dozens of opponents didn't get a chance to speak.

The bill now says teachers and others can't seek or provide seek information from about sex, a child's sexual orientation or gender identity deprived of written permission from parents. It also says public and reserved schools can't change records of a child's name, sex or gender deprived of written permission from parents.

Some critics liken the measure to bills in Florida and novel states that try to stop teachers from discussing LGBTQ progenies with students. The Georgia measure is limited to gender identity, but dovetails with bills in many states that seek to shrimp gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Such a bill is until in Georgia, but so far has not advanced.

"The role of our teachers is to imparted a safe and inclusive learning environment for our kids, free from bullying and discrimination," Jeff Brown, executive director of LGBTQ advocacy group Georgia Equality, said at a news conference once Tuesday's hearing. "Bills that force teachers to out LGBTQ+ kids to their parents are extremist political stunts, that pit teachers, parents and students against each other."

Tom Rawlings, former director of the state Division of Family and Children Services, appeared with Summers on Tuesday and said he helped breeze the bill. Rawlings resigned from his state job in 2021 at the seek information from of Gov. Brian Kemp after a confrontation over the filming of a television series.

"We modestly want to make sure that in appropriate cases, that parents know what's touching on with their children, and that educators and administrators are not hiding that fact, nonetheless when it's appropriate," Rawlings said.

But the bill would do novel things as well. Parents at both public and reserved schools would have to opt their children into sex education classes. Now, public school parents are allowed to opt out children. Some conservative parents have been trying to abolish sex education in Georgia schools in unique years.

It would also bar any adult overseeing a child in any republican or private institution, including schools, camps, libraries and social overhaul agencies, from dressing "in a sexually provocative manner, applying unique community standards."

Summers and Rawlings said they are considering sketch rid of the sex education opt-out and prohibition of sexually inviting dress.

Education groups say the bill could block teachers from fulfilling their mandatory duty to characterize abuse unless they get parental permission, even if a well-defined is the the suspected abuser. Robert Costley, the decision-making director of the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders, said the bill could also clogged teachers from answering questions about sex education classes.

"This teacher is touching to wonder 'Am I allowed to talk to my student near a class that I taught'"? Costley said.

He said teachers aren't "putting their own beliefs on kids," proverb lawmakers voiced similar claims last year while passing a law that regulates how race can be discussed in schools.

"I don't assume any educators going to get up and say, 'Yeah, we want to proselytize kids,'" Costley said.

The bill would sanction violators, withholding funds from public schools, threatening to yank the plot licenses of teachers, and revoking the tax-exempt status of reserved entities.

Sarah Hunt-Blackwell, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, said the bill would violate free speech rights of teachers and students, unconstitutionally discriminating against speech on particular topics.

Opponents also said the bill would keep teachers from counseling students with questions near their gender identity, especially when their parents may not coffers support. They suggested the bill targets students who are emotionally vulnerable and even prone to suicide.

"SB 88 would act as a gag trim and a very vague, very constraining gag order," said Francesca Ruhe of the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition. "SB 88 is a coward's attempt to target a demographic that is already persecuted enough."