Bill Allows Students to Opt Out of Animal Dissections

Connecticut students who object to dissecting frogs, fetal pigs and other dead animals in science classes could now opt out.

The Senate voted 34-1 on Wednesday to let students decline to participate in such activities.

The measure, which has been raised in various forms since 2009, passed the House of Representatives last month and must be signed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to become law.

Students are required to obtain parental permission to be exempted from dissection activities, and they must complete an alternative assignment.

Republican Sen. Toni Boucher of Wilton says she thinks it's time to allow computerized animation for anatomy lessons, since even doctors use those techniques "to learn how to and practice an operation on the human body."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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