What's happening
This bill requires all New York public schools to provide age-appropriate instruction on recognizing, avoiding, and reporting sexual abuse and assault.
Why it matters
Mandates up-to-date, evidence-based instruction. Schools must use current best practices and standards in teaching students how to recognize, avoid, refuse, and report sexual abuse and assault, helping ensure information is accurate, relevant, and effective.
Requires training for teachers. All teachers responsible for delivering this instruction, especially at the elementary level, must receive specialized training and curriculum materials, aiming to boost their confidence and competence in addressing sensitive topics.
Standardizes instruction across grade levels. The law specifies who can teach the material (regular classroom or certified health teachers in elementary, certified health teachers in secondary), promoting consistency and potentially higher quality in how this critical content is delivered.
Empowers students to protect themselves and others. By embedding this instruction in health education, the bill seeks to equip students with practical skills and knowledge, which could contribute to earlier intervention, increased reporting, and a safer school environment.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Teach Kids About Sexual Abuse
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3688
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 30, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. GUNTHER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to instruction regarding the prevention and reporting of sexual abuse and assault
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 803-b to read as follows:
§ 803-b. Health education regarding prevention of sexual abuse and assault. 1. All public schools shall include, as an integral part of health education, instruction concerning the recognition, avoidance, refusal and reporting of incidences of sexual abuse and assault. Such instruction shall reflect current practices and standards in the prevention of sexual abuse and assault of children.
2. Age appropriate instruction concerning the recognition, avoidance, refusal and reporting of incidences of sexual abuse and assault included in the health education provided to students at the elementary school grades may be taught by a regular classroom teacher or by a certified teacher holding a certificate to teach health education. Instruction concerning the recognition, avoidance, refusal and reporting of incidences of sexual abuse and assault included in the health education provided to students at the secondary school grades shall be taught by teachers certified to teach health education.
3. Teachers shall be provided with the appropriate training and curricula materials concerning the avoidance and reporting of child sexual abuse and assault.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of September next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law, provided, however, that effective immediately the commissioner of education is authorized to adopt any rules or regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act on such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00483-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.