Bill Text: HI HR202 | 2024 | Regular Session | Amended

Hawaii House Resolution 202

Bill Title: Requesting The Legislative Reference Bureau To Conduct A Study To Examine The Implementation And Standards Of Various Sexual Health Education Policies Within The Department Of Education.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-03-28 - Resolution adopted in final form. [HR202 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2024-HR202-Amended.html

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	202
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

requesting the legislative reference bureau to conduct a study to examine the implementation and standards of various sexual health education policies within the department of education.

WHEREAS, sexual health education has a proven track record of helping young people develop the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy decisions about their relationships, health, and future; and

WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2020 School Health Profiles, only twenty percent of Hawaii schools provided all twenty-two CDC-determined critical sexual health education topics for grades 6, 7, or 8; and only forty-eight percent of schools taught the critical health topics required for grades 9, 10, 11, or 12; and

WHEREAS, only 38.8 percent of Hawaii secondary schools taught students about diversity of sexual orientations and gender identities in a required course in any of grades 6, 7, or 8; and only sixty-two percent of schools taught these topics for grades 9, 10, 11, or 12; and

WHEREAS, only forty-three percent of Hawaii schools taught students how to access valid and reliable information, products, and services related to HIV, other sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancy in a required course in any of grades 6, 7, or 8; and only seventy-eight percent of schools taught these topics for grades 9, 10, 11, or 12; and

WHEREAS, the CDC concluded that well-planned and executed sexual health education is associated with delayed initiative of sex, fewer sexual partners, and more widespread use of condoms; and

WHEREAS, considerable research, including from the CDC, finds that abstinence-only education is ineffective at reducing sexual risk behaviors and delaying sex; and

WHEREAS, conversely, research shows comprehensive sexuality education reduces sexual risk behaviors and sexually transmitted infections while increasing protective sexual behaviors, including increased condom and contraceptive use; and

WHEREAS, a vast majority of people support sex education, including over ninety percent of parents who support sex education for middle and high school students; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Health does not currently collect public information or report about what sexual health curriculum is taught by Hawaii public schools; and

WHEREAS, section 321-11.1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, establishes the requirement that any state‑funded sexuality health education program provide medically accurate and factual information that is age appropriate; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii's sexual health policies do not require instruction that is inclusive of various diverse racial, ethnic, gender, sexual, disability, and other identities that exist in the State; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii's sexual health policies do not require instruction explicitly about consent; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Education amended Board Policy 103.5 on June 16, 2015, requiring the Department of Education to implement sexual health education; and

WHEREAS, Board Policy 103.5 requires instruction to develop students' knowledge and skills that support healthy relationships, sexual health, and sexuality and emphasizes the importance of encouraging students to communicate with their parents, guardians, or other trusted adults and informs students of available community resources; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Education's 2020 Hawaiʻi School Health Profiles: State and National Highlights Report demonstrates that there has been a statistically significant decrease in the volume of public schools teaching human sexuality, HIV prevention, pregnancy prevention, and sexually transmitted infection prevention; and

WHEREAS, the National Health Education Standards in Hawaiʻi states that sexual health should be addressed and informs schools about which content areas must be covered; however, the Standards do not give curricula guidelines or go into detail regarding what topics should be discussed; and

WHEREAS, evidence-based comprehensive sexual health education includes instruction on human development, sexuality, and reproduction; anatomy and physiology; consent; abstinence; contraception; health relationships; and the prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections; and

WHEREAS, the sexual health curriculum should be:

(1) Appropriate to the student's age and development;

(2) Medically and scientifically accurate and informed by research and effective practice;

(3) Consistent with the National Sexuality Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K-12; and

(4) Inclusive of all students, including all LGBTQ and racial identities; and

WHEREAS, a review of the Department of Education's sexual health education policies and standards is needed to ensure that Hawaii's students are provided with the knowledge and tools necessary to make responsible, informed, and empowered choices about their sexuality, gender, relationships, and sexual and reproductive health; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to conduct a study to examine the Department of Education's implementation of various sexual health education policies and standards; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to include in its study:

(1) A summary of responses to a survey to determine:

(A) What sexual health education curriculum is currently taught at schools, including a breakdown of specific topics including but not limited to those outlined above;

(B) Key reasons why in Hawaii schools, eighty percent of grades 6, 7, and 8 are not receiving CDC-determined sexual health education topics and why fifty-two percent of grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 are not being taught critical sexual health topics; and

(C) Information on the types of resources schools and teachers are currently offered and resources that schools and teachers would need to be in compliance with sexual health policies and laws;

provided that the Department of Education is requested to assist the Legislative Reference Bureau by distributing the Bureau's survey instrument to all Department personnel involved with teaching, developing, or evaluating sexual health education curriculum and delivering the completed responses to the Bureau by the dates specified by the Bureau;

(2) A summary of current Department of Education or Board of Education policies and standards relating to sexual health education, copies of which the Department is requested to provide to the Bureau no later than June 1, 2024;

(3) An assessment of whether the provided curriculum complies with Department of Education policies and statutory requirements; and

(4) Recommendations for evaluating and ensuring the provision of evidence-based sexual health programming in the future; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to submit the study, including any findings, recommendations, and proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2025; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Education, Superintendent of Education, and Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Report Title:

Legislative Reference Bureau; Study; Sexual Health Education; Department of Education