ANCHORAGE – The inaugural meeting of the task force created to help implement Erin’s Law and Bree’s Law in Alaska will be held Tuesday, October 13 at the Anchorage Legislative Information Office. The task force was created to provide recommendations to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development. Bree’s Law mandates that teen dating violence education be taught in middle schools and high schools in Alaska. Erin’s Law requires school districts teach elementary and secondary school student’s personal body safety information. Erin’s Law, which was championed by Representative Geran Tarr (D-Anchorage), also requires that school staff be trained on how to recognize the signs of child sexual abuse.

“As an educator with over fifteen years of classroom experience, I hope I can share some ideas on how to make Erin’s Law and Bree’s Law work in Alaska’s classrooms,” said Rep. Tarr. “For these laws to be successful, we must deliver this critical personal body safety information in such a way that it resonate with students across the state.”

The 10 member Alaska Safe Children’s Act Task Force includes lawmakers, the Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, the Executive Director of the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, and other stakeholders in the effort to eradicate child sexual abuse in Alaska. The task force is tasked with providing recommendations for age-appropriate curriculum and training materials related to suicide prevention, sexual abuse and prevention, dating violence, and alcohol and drug related disabilities. The recommendations are due by June 30 of next year.

“Multiple recent news stories highlight the need for the education that will be provided to children thanks to the passage of Erin’s Law and Bree’s Law,” said Rep. Tarr. “These laws are supposed to be implemented by 2017 but I’m hopeful the task force can complete its work quickly and beat that deadline. With thousands of kids being abused every year, this can’t happen soon enough.”

The task force to implement Erin’s Law and Bree’s Law will meet Tuesday, October 13 from 9 am – 4 pm at the Anchorage Legislative Information Office. The meeting is open to the public.

For more information contact Rep. Tarr’s office at (907) 269-0144.

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