HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1654

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                          Education

Title:  An act relating to AIDS education.

Brief Description:  Revising advisement regulations for AIDS education.

Sponsors:  Representatives Lambert, Stevens, Beeksma, Elliot, Crouse, Carlson, Pelesky, Hargrove, Clements, Backlund, Thompson, Huff and Smith.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Education:  2/14/95, 2/23/95 [DPS].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 19 members:  Representatives Brumsickle, Chairman; Elliot, Vice Chairman; Johnson, Vice Chairman; Cole, Ranking Minority Member; Poulsen, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Clements; Dickerson; G. Fisher; Fuhrman; Hatfield; McMahan; Pelesky; Quall; Radcliff; Smith; Talcott; B. Thomas; Thompson and Veloria.

Staff:  Robert Butts (786-7111).

Background:   Under current law, students in public schools are to receive instruction in the danger, spread, and prevention of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) at least once a year beginning no later than the fifth grade.  School districts are required to adopt an AIDS prevention education program that is to be developed in consultation with teachers, administrators, parents, and other community members.

Students may be excused from participation in the AIDS prevention education program, but only if a parent has attended a presentation on the curricula and instructional materials, and objects in writing.   The presentation must be conducted during weekend and evening hours.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The requirement that parents attend a presentation on the AIDS curricula and material before withdrawing their children from AIDS prevention education is modified.  Instead of having to attend the presentation annually prior to withdrawing a child, parents are required to attend a presentation at least once every five years.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The original legislation allowed school districts to decide whether or not to have evening and weekend information sessions for parents.  The substitute keeps current law, which requires that these evening and weekend sessions be offered. 

The original legislation removed all requirements that parents attend an information session before removing their children from AIDS education.  The substitute requires that the parent attend an information session at least once every five years.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not Requested.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Parents are required to go through this training annually if they want to withdraw their children from the AIDS instruction.  As a result, I have had to go through the training each year for seven years.  This is too much to ask of parents, especially since the training changes little year-to-year.

Testimony Against:  The spread of AIDS among our young people is a serious problem.  This law also was intended to educate parents about the danger of AIDS.  This bill will negate this purpose.

Testified:   Representative Kathy Lambert, prime sponsor; Mike Leigh, citizen (opposed); and Scott Foster, student (opposed).