Legislature Expands Sexual Health Education Resources

Lozano Smith Client News Brief
November 2018
Number 79

In September 2018, Governor Jerry Brown approved a series of bills that expand on the instruction of comprehensive sexual health education for California public school students.

The California Healthy Youth Act requires that school districts ensure that pupils in grades 7 through 12 receive comprehensive sexual health education, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention education, and information on sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual abuse, and human trafficking. Commencing with the 2019-2020 school year, charter schools will be included in these requirements. (See 2018 CNB No. 57.)

Assembly Bill (AB) 1861 adds the requirement that school districts and charter schools provide pupils in grades 7 through 12 information on how social media and mobile device applications are being used for human trafficking.

AB 1868 authorizes school districts and charter schools to provide optional instruction on the potential risks and consequences of creating and sharing sexually suggestive or sexually explicit materials through cellular telephones, social networking Internet sites, computer networks, or other digital media.

Lastly, Senate Bill (SB) 1104 requires school districts and charter schools to identify the most appropriate methods of informing parents and guardians of pupils in grades 6 through 12 of human trafficking prevention resources and implement the identified methods by January 1, 2020.

The California Department of Education provides information on its website regarding comprehensive sexual health and HIV/AIDS instruction, and is in the process of revising the Health Education Curriculum Framework to be adopted in the spring of 2019.

If you have any questions about these new laws or about sexual education laws in general, please contact the authors of this Client News Brief or an attorney at one of our eight offices located statewide. You can also visit our website, follow us on Facebook or Twitter or download our Client News Brief App.
 
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As the information contained herein is necessarily general, its application to a particular set of facts and circumstances may vary. For this reason, this News Brief does not constitute legal advice. We recommend that you consult with your counsel prior to acting on the information contained herein.