| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to public K-12 education; amending s. |
| 3 | 1003.42, F.S.; providing that comprehensive health |
| 4 | education taught in the public schools shall include a |
| 5 | component on teen dating violence and abuse for students |
| 6 | in grades 7 through 12; creating s. 1006.148, F.S.; |
| 7 | requiring district school boards to adopt and implement a |
| 8 | dating violence and abuse policy; providing policy |
| 9 | requirements; requiring the Department of Education to |
| 10 | develop a model policy; requiring school personnel |
| 11 | training; providing an effective date. |
| 12 |
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| 13 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 14 |
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| 15 | Section 1. Paragraph (n) of subsection (2) of section |
| 16 | 1003.42, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 17 | 1003.42 Required instruction.- |
| 18 | (2) Members of the instructional staff of the public |
| 19 | schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education |
| 20 | and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and |
| 21 | faithfully, using the books and materials required that meet the |
| 22 | highest standards for professionalism and historic accuracy, |
| 23 | following the prescribed courses of study, and employing |
| 24 | approved methods of instruction, the following: |
| 25 | (n) Comprehensive health education that addresses concepts |
| 26 | of community health; consumer health; environmental health; |
| 27 | family life, including an awareness of the benefits of sexual |
| 28 | abstinence as the expected standard and the consequences of |
| 29 | teenage pregnancy; mental and emotional health; injury |
| 30 | prevention and safety; nutrition; personal health; prevention |
| 31 | and control of disease; and substance use and abuse. The health |
| 32 | education curriculum for students in grades 7 through 12 shall |
| 33 | include a teen dating violence and abuse component that |
| 34 | includes, but is not limited to, the definition of dating |
| 35 | violence and abuse, the warning signs of dating violence and |
| 36 | abusive behavior, the characteristics of healthy relationships, |
| 37 | measures to prevent and stop dating violence and abuse, and |
| 38 | legal remedies and community resources available to victims of |
| 39 | dating violence and abuse. |
| 40 |
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| 41 | The State Board of Education is encouraged to adopt standards |
| 42 | and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection. |
| 43 | Section 2. Section 1006.148, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 44 | to read: |
| 45 | 1006.148 Dating violence and abuse prohibited.- |
| 46 | (1) Each district school board shall adopt and implement a |
| 47 | dating violence and abuse policy. The policy shall: |
| 48 | (a) Prohibit dating violence and abuse by any student on |
| 49 | school property, during a school-sponsored activity, or during |
| 50 | school-sponsored transportation. |
| 51 | (b) Provide procedures for responding to such incidents of |
| 52 | dating violence or abuse, including accommodations for students |
| 53 | experiencing dating violence or abuse. |
| 54 | (c) Define dating violence and abuse and provide for a |
| 55 | teen dating violence and abuse component in the health education |
| 56 | curriculum, according to s. 1003.42(2)(n), with emphasis on |
| 57 | prevention education. |
| 58 | (d) Be implemented in a manner that is integrated with a |
| 59 | school district's discipline policies. |
| 60 | (2) To assist district school boards in developing a |
| 61 | policy prohibiting dating violence and abuse, the Department of |
| 62 | Education shall develop a model policy. |
| 63 | (3) Each district school board shall provide training for |
| 64 | teachers, staff, and school administrators to implement this |
| 65 | section. |
| 66 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010. |