April Legislative Report

April 2002 Legislative Report

Arizona: Medically Accurate Requirement Passes Committee

In January, House Bill 2117 and its counterpart Senate Bill 1157 were introduced in the Arizona legislature. These bills would require that any sexuality education curricula taught in Arizona's schools contain only medically accurate information as defined by the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While Arizona law currently mandates that any sexuality education be medically accurate, it does not provide a scientific source with which the information must conform. SB 1157 was passed out of the Senate Health Committee on February 5, but no further action has been taken. No Committee action has been taken on the House version.

In an attempt to revive action on a substantive medical accuracy requirement, two Senate committees have amended unrelated bills to include such requirements. On April 10, the Senate Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee took an unrelated bill (SB 1425) and replaced its contents with similar language as is in HB 2117 and SB 1157, requiring that any sexuality education that is taught be medically accurate in accordance with the CDC. This amendment to the bill passed the Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee.

On April 16, the Senate Health Committee passed an amendment to an unrelated bill (HB 2249), replacing its contents with a short clause stipulating that any recipient of state monies that teaches sexuality education must provide medically accurate information as provided by the American Medical Association or the CDC.

California: Hearing Held on whether "Safe Surrender" Law must be Taught

On February 25 a bill was introduced in the California legislature regarding students taking medication during the school day. On April 29, a seemingly unrelated amendment was offered to the bill that struck out the initial language and replaced it with language requiring that any sexuality education course teach students about the Safe Arms for Newborns law, a law similar to "safe surrender" laws in other states. This law allows mothers to anonymously surrender an infant up to 72 hours old at a hospital emergency room or other designated location without fear of prosecution. A hearing on the amended bill was scheduled for May 1.

Maine: Family Life Education Bill Passes

On April 10, An Act to Expand Family Life Education Services (LD 1603) was signed into law by Maine's Governor, Angus King. This bill, passed by the legislature on March 27 with widespread bi-partisan support, inserts a definition of "family life education" into state education statutes and seeks to expand Family Life Education Services.

The new law's definition of family life education is important because it recognizes that sexuality education should be medically accurate, inclusive of information on both abstinence and contraception, age-appropriate, and taught in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Maine's Family Life Education Services has been working with communities for twenty years to develop family life education programs with these criteria in schools throughout the state. In those twenty years, Maine's teen pregnancy rate has decreased over 35 percent, the sharpest decline in the country.

The Maine bill was loosely modeled on a bill that has been introduced in the U.S. Congress. The Family Life Education Act, HR 3469, would provide $100 million per year to states to implement comprehensive sexuality education programs in schools.

Pennsylvania: Resolution Recognizing "Chastity Awareness Week"

On April 24, the Pennsylvania Senate introduced and adopted a resolution designating the week of April 28 through May 4 as "Chastity Awareness Week." The resolution recognizes that "chastity places sexual intercourse within the context of marriage," among other things. The legislature has passed similar resolutions every year since 1997.

Virginia: Adoption Promotion

On April 5, HB 1206 was approved by the Governor. The bill mandates that any family life education curriculum provide instruction on the benefits of adoption as the preferred choice in the event of an unintended pregnancy. HB 1206 passed the House on February 9 and passed the Senate on February 25. The new law will take effect on July 1, 2002.

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