Bill > S265

This bill mandates that any public school or school district offering sexual health education must provide instruction that is "medically accurate," meaning it is supported by scientific research and recognized as objective, and "age-appropriate," meaning the topics, messages, and teaching methods are suitable for the developmental stage of the students. The education must cover the benefits of delaying sexual activity alongside the importance of contraception and barrier methods for preventing unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, and teach students skills for safer sexual activity and healthy relationships free from violence. Schools that follow the Massachusetts comprehensive health curriculum framework will be presumed to meet these requirements. Additionally, the bill revises existing law to require school districts to adopt a policy ensuring parental notification about comprehensive sexual health education, including the right for parents to withdraw their child from all or part of the instruction, with alternative educational activities provided for excused students. Finally, starting no earlier than the 2015-2016 academic year, school districts and charter schools will be required to file an annual report with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education detailing their sexual health education curricula, hours of instruction, and the number of students receiving it.