Florida Senate - 2021                                    SB 1094
       
       
        
       By Senator Bean
       
       
       
       
       
       4-01763A-21                                           20211094__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to required health education
    3         instruction; amending s. 1003.42, F.S.; providing
    4         additional requirements for health education; revising
    5         the grade levels when students receive certain health
    6         education instruction; requiring health education
    7         instruction to include prevention of specified harms;
    8         amending s. 1006.148, F.S.; conforming a cross
    9         reference; providing an effective date.
   10          
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Paragraph (n) of subsection (2) of section
   14  1003.42, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   15         1003.42 Required instruction.—
   16         (2) Members of the instructional staff of the public
   17  schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education
   18  and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and
   19  faithfully, using the books and materials required that meet the
   20  highest standards for professionalism and historical accuracy,
   21  following the prescribed courses of study, and employing
   22  approved methods of instruction, the following:
   23         (n)1. Comprehensive age-appropriate and developmentally
   24  appropriate health education that addresses concepts of
   25  community health,; consumer health,; environmental health, and;
   26  family life, including:
   27         a. An awareness of the benefits of sexual abstinence as the
   28  expected standard and the consequences of teenage pregnancy;
   29  Mental and emotional health.;
   30         b. Injury prevention and safety.;
   31         c. Internet safety.;
   32         d. Nutrition.;
   33         e. Personal health.;
   34         f. Prevention and control of disease.; and
   35         g. Substance use and abuse.
   36         h. Prevention of child sexual abuse, exploitation, and
   37  human trafficking.
   38         2. The health education curriculum for students in grades 7
   39  through 12 shall include an awareness of the benefits of sexual
   40  abstinence as the expected standard; the consequences of teenage
   41  pregnancy; and a teen dating violence and abuse component that
   42  includes, but is not limited to, the definition of dating
   43  violence and abuse, the warning signs of dating violence and
   44  abusive behavior, the characteristics of healthy relationships,
   45  measures to prevent and stop dating violence and abuse, and
   46  community resources available to victims of dating violence and
   47  abuse.
   48  
   49  The State Board of Education is encouraged to adopt standards
   50  and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection. A
   51  character development program that incorporates the values of
   52  the recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor and that is
   53  offered as part of a social studies, English Language Arts, or
   54  other schoolwide character building and veteran awareness
   55  initiative meets the requirements of paragraphs (s) and (t).
   56         Section 2. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section
   57  1006.148, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   58         1006.148 Dating violence and abuse prohibited.—
   59         (1) Each district school board shall adopt and implement a
   60  dating violence and abuse policy. The policy shall:
   61         (c) Define dating violence and abuse and provide for a teen
   62  dating violence and abuse component in the health education
   63  curriculum, according to s. 1003.42(2)(n)2. s. 1003.42(2)(n),
   64  with emphasis on prevention education.
   65         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.