What's happening
This bill creates a school-based teen dating violence prevention program to educate students, parents, and school personnel about healthy relationships and how to address teen dating violence.
Why it matters
Centralizes expertise and oversight. by requiring the Education Commissioner to work with health, domestic violence prevention, and advocacy organizations, ensuring curriculum and resources are informed by current best practices and expert input.
Mandates age-appropriate, evidence-based education. for students, parents, and school personnel, including specific guidance on recognizing warning signs, understanding healthy relationships, and knowing where to seek help locally—potentially increasing early intervention and support.
Ensures transparency and accessibility. by requiring all educational materials to be available for free online and upon request to any school, including public, charter, and nonpublic schools, lowering barriers to adoption statewide.
Encourages proactive school policy and community collaboration. by directing schools to develop response protocols and work with local organizations, potentially leading to broader cultural change around relationship health and violence prevention among youth.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Prevent Teen Dating Violence
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 40
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Print number 4528a
- Amend (t) and recommit to education
- Referred to education
- Committee discharged and committed to education
- Referred to health
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.
Prevent Teen Dating Violence
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Amy Paulin
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4528--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 16, 2017
Introduced by Sens. MURPHY, FUNKE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health -- recommitted to the Committee on Education in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the creation of a school-based teen dating violence prevention program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 57 to read as follows:
57. School-based teen dating violence prevention program. a. The commissioner shall consult and collaborate with the commissioner of health, the office for the prevention of domestic violence and organizations that promote teen dating violence awareness, prevention and education, as well as other interested parties, to establish and develop a school-based teen dating violence prevention program within the department. Such program shall be defined by the commissioner in regulations after consultation with the department of health and the office for the prevention of domestic violence and be designed to educate students, parents and school personnel about healthy relationship behaviors, teen dating violence awareness and prevention. The teen dating violence awareness prevention program shall include but not be limited to:
(i) age-appropriate model curriculum, exemplar lesson plans and best practice instructional resources for students, parents and school personnel developed or approved to promote awareness of healthy relationship behaviors and teen dating violence prevention. Such model curriculum, lesson plans and instructional resources shall include but not be limited to information on healthy relationship behaviors and teen dating violence, recognizing the warning signs of teen dating violence,
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06550-10-8
S. 4528--A 2
and a discussion of local community resources that are available to teens in an abusive relationship;
(ii) instructional tools and materials for students, parents and school personnel developed or approved in collaboration with the commissioner of health and the office for the prevention of domestic violence, which shall include updated data and information on healthy relationship behaviors and teen dating violence awareness and prevention, with a review of such data and information to occur periodically, at intervals deemed appropriate by the commissioner, the commissioner of health and the office for prevention of domestic violence; and
(iii) public availability of all materials related to the teen dating violence awareness prevention program on a dedicated webpage on the department's internet website, and all materials shall be provided at no cost to every school district, board of cooperative educational services, charter school and nonpublic school upon request.
b. The commissioner shall issue a guidance memorandum to every school district, board of cooperative educational services, charter school and nonpublic school, to inform them of the availability of the teen dating violence awareness prevention program and to encourage them to work and collaborate with local organizations that promote teen dating violence awareness, prevention and education and to develop policies and procedures on responding to incidents of teen dating violence and healthy relationship initiatives. The commissioner shall annually remind school districts, boards of cooperative educational services, charter schools and nonpublic schools, of the availability of teen dating violence awareness and prevention materials as part of teen dating violence awareness and prevention month.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made or completed on or before such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to the creation of a school-based teen dating violence prevention program
Purpose
To promote education of students regarding teen dating violence.
Summary of provisions
Section one amends the Public Health Law by adding a new Section 56.
a. To require the Commissioner of Education, in cooperation with the Commissioner of Health, the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and organizations that promote teen dating violence awareness and healthy relationship behaviors to establish a school-based teen dating violence prevention program that shall include:
(i) age-appropriate curriculum, lesson plans and best practices for students, parents and school personnel to promote teen dating violence prevention and healthy relationship behaviors;
(ii) instructional tools for students, parents and school personnel on healthy relationship behaviors and teen dating violence awareness and prevention;
(iii) materials related to teen dating violence prevention and education provided at no cost to every school entity that are also made publicly available on the department's webpage.
b. Outlines that the Commissioner shall issue a guidance memorandum to schools and inform them about the prevention and education program. The Commissioner should urge schools to work with local organizations to develop policies and procedures on responding to incidents of teen dating violence and healthy relationship initiatives.
Section two sets forth the effective date.
Justification
The prevalence of teen dating violence, particularly in schools, is alarming and victims can suffer vicious and lasting effects. One study revealed that one third of youth in the United States reported having been the victim of teen dating violence in their lifetimes ("National Rates of Adolescent Physical, Psychological, and Sexual Teen-Dating Violence," 2013). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among other U.S. government agencies recommend education and prevention programs in schools to reduce dating violence and to foster healthy relationships.
As New York's programming and training leader for domestic violence services and prevention, the New York Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NYSCADV) has done extensive work in this area. It has devel- oped a curriculum on teen dating violence prevention and healthy relationships, which could serve as a model for this program.
The most effective programs are community-based with, collaboration between the school and local organizations that promote teen dating violence awareness. Several schools have successfully worked with local domestic violence organizations to implement teen dating violence prevention programs, and such collaboration should be encouraged state- wide. As the statewide membership organization of local direct service domestic violence programs, NYSCADV can facilitate connections between schools and local organizations to develop policies and procedures to best respond to incidents of teen dating violence and to foster healthy relationship behaviors among our school-age children across the state.
Teen dating violence is a serious public health concern, and our efforts to address this issue must focus on prevention, specifically through education in schools. Several states have passed legislation to include teen dating violence education in the health curriculum of public schools, including Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio. By requiring NYS Department of Education to establish a school based teen dating violence prevention program, we will be better able to help our children and youth recognize inappropriate and harmful behaviors, prevent violence in dating relationships, and improve the health, safety and well-being of our children.
Legislative history
This is a new bill.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.