What's happening
This bill requires New York to create a school-based teen dating violence prevention program with educational resources for students, parents, and school staff.
Why it matters
Brings expert and community voices together. By requiring collaboration between education, health, and domestic violence prevention agencies, plus organizations with on-the-ground experience, the program is likely to reflect real-world needs and effective strategies.
Guarantees up-to-date, research-backed materials. The bill mandates regular reviews and updates of educational resources, ensuring students, parents, and school staff receive current, evidence-based information about healthy relationships and warning signs.
Expands access and transparency. All program materials must be publicly available online and provided free to any school upon request, making it easier for diverse school communities and families—including those in nonpublic settings—to access these resources.
Promotes proactive school involvement. The bill not only encourages schools to use the program but also to develop their own policies and procedures for responding to dating violence, fostering a culture of early intervention and support.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Prevent Teen Dating Violence
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
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.
Teach Teen Dating Safety
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Amy Paulin
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3454
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 7, 2019
Introduced by Sen. BIAGGI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
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, 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 commis-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00624-01-9
S. 3454 2
sioner 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. 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 to require the commissioner of education, in cooperation with the commis- sioner 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 person- nel 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. Outlines that the commissioner shall issue a guidance memoran- dum to schools and inform them about the prevention and education program. The commissioner should urge schools to work with local organ- izations to develop policies and procedures on responding to incidents of teen dating violence and healthy relationship initiatives.
Section two sets the effective date.
Justification
The prevalence of teen dating violence, particularly in schools, is and lasting effects. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 10 percent of high school students report physical violence and 11 percent report experiencing sexual violence from a dating partner in the past year. CDC and other U.S. government agencies recommend education and prevention programs in schools to reduce dating violence and to foster healthy relationships.
As New York State's programming and training leader for preventing domestic violence and providing services to victims, the New York Coali- tion Against Domestic Violence (NYSCADV) has done extensive work in this area. It has developed 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 the 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 wellbeing of our children.
Legislative history
A.5354A in 2017 and 2018, referred to education. Same as S.4528A in 2017 and 2018, committed to education.
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
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.