Bill Text: TX SB88 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to health education curriculum and instruction in public schools.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-02 - Co-author authorized [SB88 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SB88-Introduced.html
84R593 MEW-F | ||
By: Ellis | S.B. No. 88 |
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relating to health education curriculum and instruction in public | ||
schools. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the Texas Education | ||
Works Act. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 28.004, Education Code, is amended by | ||
amending Subsection (e) and adding Subsection (o) to read as | ||
follows: | ||
(e) Any course materials and instruction relating to human | ||
sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases, or human | ||
immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome | ||
shall be selected by the board of trustees with the advice of the | ||
local school health advisory council and [ |
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(1) must present abstinence from sexual activity as | ||
the preferred choice of behavior in relationship to all sexual | ||
activity for [ |
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(2) must devote sufficient [ |
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abstinence from sexual activity to emphasize the importance of | ||
abstinence from sexual activity [ |
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(3) must emphasize that abstinence from sexual | ||
activity, if used consistently and correctly, is the only method | ||
that is 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy, sexually | ||
transmitted infections [ |
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with human immunodeficiency virus, [ |
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syndrome resulting from sexual activity, and the emotional distress | ||
that may be [ |
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that results in a sexually transmitted infection or an unintended | ||
pregnancy; | ||
(4) must direct adolescents to a standard of behavior | ||
in which abstinence from sexual activity [ |
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most effective way to prevent pregnancy, sexually transmitted | ||
infections [ |
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human immunodeficiency virus, and [ |
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syndrome resulting from sexual activity; [ |
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(5) must present age-appropriate information; | ||
(6) must be evidence-based; | ||
(7) must provide information about the effectiveness | ||
of methods approved by the United States Food and Drug | ||
Administration for reducing the risk of contracting sexually | ||
transmitted infections, including human immunodeficiency virus, | ||
and preventing pregnancy; | ||
(8) must include strategies to promote effective | ||
communication between adolescents and their parents and other | ||
family members about values and healthy relationships; | ||
(9) must encourage students to develop healthy life | ||
skills, including goal setting, responsible decision making, | ||
refusal and negotiation, and effective communication; | ||
(10) must teach skills for making responsible | ||
decisions about sexual activity, including how to avoid unwanted | ||
verbal or physical sexual advances and how to avoid making unwanted | ||
verbal or physical sexual advances; and | ||
(11) may not promote bias against: | ||
(A) students of any race, gender, sexual | ||
orientation, or ethnic or cultural background; | ||
(B) sexually active students; or | ||
(C) children with disabilities [ |
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(o) In this section: | ||
(1) "Age-appropriate information" means information, | ||
including topics, messages, and teaching methods, that is suitable | ||
for the particular ages or age groups of children and adolescents to | ||
whom the information is to be presented based on the developing | ||
cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capacity of children or | ||
adolescents of that age or age group. | ||
(2) "Evidence-based" means: | ||
(A) verified or supported by research that is: | ||
(i) in compliance with accepted scientific | ||
methods; | ||
(ii) published in peer-reviewed journals, | ||
if appropriate; and | ||
(iii) recognized as medically accurate, | ||
objective, and complete by mainstream professional organizations | ||
and agencies with expertise in the relevant field, including the | ||
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States | ||
Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Adolescent | ||
Health; and | ||
(B) proven, through rigorous scientific | ||
evaluation, to achieve positive outcomes concerning sexually risky | ||
behavior or negative health consequences of sexually risky | ||
behavior. | ||
SECTION 3. (a) A school district that uses instructional | ||
materials that do not reflect the requirements prescribed by | ||
Section 28.004(e), Education Code, as amended by this Act, shall | ||
also use appropriate supplemental instructional materials as | ||
necessary to comply with those requirements. | ||
(b) A school district that permits a person not employed by | ||
the district to present one or more components of the district's | ||
human sexuality instruction must require the person to comply with | ||
the requirements prescribed by Section 28.004(e), Education Code, | ||
as amended by this Act. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016 | ||
school year. | ||
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |