Bill Text: AZ HB2616 | 2012 | Fiftieth Legislature 2nd Regular | Introduced


Bill Title: Schools; sex education

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-19 - Referred to House ED Committee [HB2616 Detail]

Download: Arizona-2012-HB2616-Introduced.html

 

 

 

REFERENCE TITLE: schools; sex education

 

 

 

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fiftieth Legislature

Second Regular Session

2012

 

 

HB 2616

 

Introduced by

Representatives Hobbs, Pancrazi, Tovar, Wheeler: Ableser, Alston, Gallego, Hale, McCune Davis, Meyer

 

 

AN ACT

 

amending section 15‑711, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to school curriculum.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 



Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.  Section 15-711, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE15-711.  Sex education curricula; sexual conduct with a minor; definitions

A.  All school districts with existing sex education curricula shall:

1.  Provide sex education that is medically accurate and comprehensive.

2.  Include instruction on the laws relating to sexual conduct with a minor for pupils in grades seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven and twelve.  Each school district may develop its own course of study to meet the requirements of this section paragraph.

B.  At the request of a school district, the department of health services or the department of education shall review instruction materials to determine their medical accuracy.

C.  At the request of a school district, the department of education shall provide the following assistance:

1.  A suggested course of study.

2.  Teacher training.

3.  A list of available films and other teaching aids.

D.  At the request of a parent, a pupil shall be excused from instruction on sex education as provided in subsection A of this section.  The school district shall notify all parents of their ability to withdraw their child from the instruction.

E.  For the purposes of this section:

1.  "Comprehensive" means evidence-based programs that begin in middle school grades or junior high school grades and continue through grade twelve and that provide pupils with opportunities for developing skills and learning age‑appropriate, medically accurate information on a broad set of topics related to sexuality, including human development, relationships, decisionmaking, abstinence, contraception and disease prevention.

2.  "Medically accurate" means information that is all of the following:

(a)  Verified or supported by the weight of peer-reviewed research conducted in compliance with accepted scientific methods.

(b)  Recognized as accurate and objective by leading professional organizations and agencies with relevant expertise in the field.

(c)  Published in peer-reviewed journals, if appropriate.  END_STATUTE

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