The bill mandates that starting in the 2027-2028 school year, public schools must provide comprehensive human sexuality education as part of their health education curriculum for middle and high school students. Specifically, students entering ninth grade during this period will be required to complete a half-unit of health education to graduate. School districts and charter schools are obligated to submit implementation plans for this curriculum, while the Public Education Department will develop academic content and performance standards. The bill also outlines the approval process for school district curricula and the creation of model curricula for these grades.

In addition to the comprehensive human sexuality education, the bill requires that health education courses include lifesaving skills training, such as CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, with guidelines for instructor qualifications and instructional materials available in both English and Spanish. Parents have the option to excuse their children from the human sexuality education component, although students will still receive credit if alternative topics are not provided. The bill introduces new definitions related to the curriculum, emphasizes the teaching of healthy relationships and consent, and mandates that the information be age-appropriate and medically accurate. By July 1, 2027, the department is tasked with establishing a review process for school district curricula and developing model curricula for this education.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 22-13-1.1