Committee
Education
Author
Lee Yancey
Session
2023 Session
Latest Action
On March 31, the House adopted the conference report for HB 1390. The bill is awaiting the Governor’s signature.
Explanation of the Bill
The current version of HB 1390 would extend the repealer on the school board requirement to adopt a sex education policy until July 1, 2026. Additionally, it would give school districts the option to use a “sexual risk avoidance” curriculum.
The law requiring school districts to adopt a sex education policy was originally passed in 2011 and is currently set to be repealed on July 1, 2024. Under this law, school districts may either choose to implement “abstinence-only” or “abstinence-plus” education.
The purpose of including a third curriculum option, “sexual risk avoidance,” is that using this curriculum would allow state entities to apply for grants from the federal Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) grant program, which is administered by the Family and Youth Services Bureau. Detailed information about the topics that are included in the grant program’s definition of “sexual risk avoidance” can be found on the Family and Youth Services Bureau’s website. The program promotes abstinence-only education, so the inclusion of its principles would not substantively change the type of content that is currently introduced to students in sex education courses.
As introduced, House Bill 1390 would have simply deleted the repealer on a provision of the law that requires local school boards to adopt a policy on sex education.
| Date | Details |
|---|---|
| 1/16/23 | On January 16, HB 1390 was referred to the House Education Committee. |
| 1/31/23 | On January 31, the House Education Committee passed HB 1390. |
| 2/2/23 | On February 2, the House passed HB 1390. |
| 2/14/23 | On February 14, HB 1390 was referred to the Senate Education Committee. |
| 2/28/23 | On February 28, the Senate Education Committee passed a “strike-all” amendment to HB 1390. The amended version of the bill would extend, rather than delete, the repealer requiring districts to adopt a sex education policy. Additionally, it would incorporate information about “sexual risk avoidance” into sex education curriculum. |
| 3/7/23 | On March 7, the Senate passed the amended version of HB 1390. |
| 3/23/23 | On March 23, the House invited conference on HB 1390. House conferees include Richard Bennett, Dana McLean, and Lee Yancey. Senate conferees include Dennis DeBar, Brice Wiggins, and John Polk. |
| 3/27/23 | On March 27, House and Senate conferees filed a conference report for HB 1390. The conference report would remove the repealer on the school board requirement to adopt a sex education policy. Additionally, it would allow school districts to use a “sexual risk avoidance” curriculum. |
| 3/29/23 | On March 29, the Senate adopted the conference report for HB 1390. Later in the day, the bill was suspended from deadlines through the passage of HC 61. |
| 3/31/23 | On March 31, the House adopted the conference report for HB 1390. |