A bill setting requirements on teaching evolution cleared the state Senate on Monday after being slightly amended to note that lawmakers weren't requiring school officials to teach anything that isn't already being taught.

It passed its final Senate vote 16-12 and now heads to the House of Representatives.

Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan and the sponsor of the bill, was absent because of an illness. Four Republicans joined the chamber's eight Democrats in voting against it.

The bill was amended to clear up the question of whether Buttars's bill mandates the state school board to add instruction on "origins of life" to state curricula, The Associated Press reported. Currently, state biology classes teach about the evolution of species but do not address the origins or evolution of man.

But Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, said his amendment "makes it clear that this is not a mandate," inserting the sentence "IF instruction IS GIVEN to students on any theory regarding the origins of life, or the origins or present state of the human race, THEN THAT INSTRUCTION shall stress that not all scientists agree on which theory is correct," the AP reported.

School officials had expressed concern that the bill would require science classes to include the origins material. State school superintendent Patti Harrington said those topics are not now part of the curriculum.

The curriculum does include biological evolution, which says that organisms change over time and that the changes can be passed on to subsequent generations.

SB 96: Public Education - Instruction and Policy Relating to the Origins of Life

Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan

Requires the state school board to set instructional policies regarding the origins of life and the origins of the human race that do not endorse any particular scientific viewpoints.

Vote tally

Yes

Sen. Greg Bell, R-Fruit Heights

Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo

Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden

Sen. Dan Eastman, R-Bountiful

Sen. Tom Hatch, R-Panguitch

Sen. Parley Hellewell, R-Orem

Sen. Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City

Sen. Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse

Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Eagle Mountain

Sen. Al Mansell, R-Sandy

Sen. Darin Peterson, R-Nephi

Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper

Sen. Dave Thomas, R-South Weber

Sen. Mike Waddoups, R-West Jordan

Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Salt Lake City

Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem

No

Sen. Patrice Arent, D-Salt Lake City

Sen. Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake City

Sen. Mike Dmitrich, D-Price

Sen. Beverly Evans, R-Altamont

Sen. Fred Fife, D-Salt Lake City

Sen. Brent Goodfellow, D-West Valley City

Sen. Karen Hale, D-Salt Lake City

Sen. Bill Hickman, R-St. George

Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan

Sen. Peter Knudson, R-Brigham City

Sen. Ed Mayne, D-West Valley City

Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake City

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A3.