What's happening
Writing a plain-English summary… Track this bill to get it by email.
Why it matters
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Sponsors
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Mandates comprehensive, medically accurate and age appropriate sex education be taught in all public schools, grades one through twelve
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Inez Barron
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to mandating sex education in elementary and high schools
Purpose
To establish and implement a comprehensive, medically accurate and age appropriate sex education curriculum in grades one through twelve in all public and charter schools.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 adds a new section 815 to the Education Law requiring the Commissioner of Education to collaborate with the Commissioners of Health and Mental Health to create an age comprehensive, medically accurate and age-appropriate sex education curriculum for all grades and requires that schools teach sex education. The section also grants local boards of education or the Chancellor of the New York City School System the option of adopting their own curriculum upon approval of the Commissioner.
Section 2 establishes the enactment date.
Justification
According to a U.S. Government report released in April 2007, abstinence-only sex education does not keep teenagers from having sex. The independent study determined that the more than 2,000 teens who took part in the programs as elementary and middle schools students were just as likely to have sex as those who did not participate in them.
Similarly, a report of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy found no credible evidence to support the claim that abstinence-only programs delay the onset of sexual activity or reduce its frequency. Rather, the report revealed that abstinence-only programs put teens in harms way of contracting sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS, and fail to provide information about contraceptive methods that could prevent pregnancy.
A poll conducted by Zogby International reveal that 77 percent of New York voters believe that comprehensive age-appropriate, medically accurate sex education should be taught in public schools. The State has a responsibility to bring this instruction into the classroom to keep our youth healthy and safe, and give them the tools they need to make healthy lifestyle choices.
Legislative history
2007-2008: Died in Committee
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
The effective date is immediate.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.