5297-S.E AMH BURI CORD 091
ESSB 5297 - H AMD 735
By Representative Buri
FAILED 4/11/2007
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that young people should have the knowledge and skills necessary to build healthy relationships, and to protect themselves from unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection. The primary responsibility for sexual health education is with parents and guardians. However, this responsibility also extends to schools and other community groups. It is in the public's best interest to ensure that young people are equipped with medically and scientifically accurate, age-appropriate information that will help them avoid unintended pregnancies, remain free of sexually transmitted diseases, and make informed, responsible decisions throughout their lives.
(2) The legislature intends to support and advance the standards established in the January 2005 guidelines for sexual health information and disease prevention developed by the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the department of health. These guidelines are a fundamental tool to help school districts, teachers, guest speakers, health and counseling providers, community groups, parents, and guardians choose, develop, and evaluate sexual health curricula to better meet the health and safety needs of adolescents and young adults in their communities.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The superintendent of public instruction and the department of health shall make the January 2005 guidelines for sexual health information and disease prevention available to school districts, teachers, and guest speakers on the agencies' web sites. Within available resources, the superintendent of public instruction and the department of health shall make any related information, model policies, curricula, or other resources available on the agencies' web sites
as well.(2) The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the department of health, shall develop a list of sexual health education curricula that are consistent with the 2005 guidelines for sexual health information and disease prevention. This list shall be intended to serve as a resource for schools, teachers, or any other organization or community group, and shall be updated no less frequently than annually and made available on the web sites of the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the department of health."
Correct the title.
EFFECT: Deletes provisions (1) requiring public schools that offer sexual health education to assure that the education is medically and scientifically accurate and consistent with the 2005 Guidelines, among other requirements, (2) encouraging schools to review their sexual health education and choose from curricula listed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Department of Health as consistent with the 2005 Guidelines, (3) granting a statutory right to a parent or legal guardian to excuse his or her child from sexual health education instruction and granting the right to review the curriculum offered, (4) requiring the Superintendent to identify the sexual health education curricula used in schools and report this biennially to the Legislature, and (5) applying the school bullying law to the sexual health education provisions.