SB 5297 - DIGEST
(SUBSTITUTED FOR - SEE 1ST SUB)

Declares an intent 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.

Requires that, by September 1, 2008, every school that offers sexual health education must assure that sexual health education is medically and scientifically accurate, age-appropriate, appropriate for students regardless of gender, race, disability status, or sexual orientation, and includes information about abstinence and other methods of preventing unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. All sexual health information, instruction, and materials must be medically and scientifically accurate.

Provides that the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall, through its Washington state school health profiles survey or other existing reporting mechanism, ask schools to identify any curricula used to provide sexual health education, and shall report the results of this inquiry to the legislature on an annual basis, beginning with the 2008-09 school year.