HB 1525 Human Sexuality Curriculum Requirements
As part of the district’s curriculum, students receive instruction related to human sexuality. See policy EHAA(LEGAL). The School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) makes recommendations to the school board for curriculum materials related to human sexuality instruction. The board adopts the materials and determines the specific content of the instruction.
The board shall select course materials and instruction relating to human sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) with the advice of the local School Health Advisory Council.
State law requires that the instruction must:
- Present abstinence as the preferred choice of behavior for unmarried persons of school age;
- Devote more attention to abstinence than to other behavior;
- Emphasize that abstinence is the only method that is 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, infection with HIV or AIDS, and the emotional trauma associated with adolescent sexual activity;
- Direct adolescents to a standard of behavior in which abstinence before marriage is the most effective way to prevent pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and infection with HIV or AIDS; and
- Teach contraception and condom use in terms of human use reality rates instead of theoretical laboratory rates, if instruction on contraception and condoms is included in the curriculum.
Education Code 28.004(e)
In accordance with state law, a parent may:
- Review, receive a copy of, or purchase a copy of curriculum materials depending on the copyright of the materials. See policy EFA (Curriculum materials linked above).
- Remove his or her child from any part of the human sexuality instruction without subjecting the student to any disciplinary action, academic penalty, or other sanction imposed by the district or the student's school.
- Become involved in the development of this curriculum by becoming a member of the district’s SHAC or attending SHAC meetings.
- Use the district’s grievance procedure concerning a complaint. See policy FNG(LOCAL).
Parent Consent Before Instruction
Before a student may be provided with human sexuality instruction, the district must obtain written consent from the student’s parent. Parents will be sent a request for written consent not later than the 14th day before the date on which the human sexuality instruction begins. (HB 1525)