| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to prohibiting the adoption or use of national sexuality |
|
|
education standards in public schools. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Sections 28.002(b-1), (b-2), and (b-4), |
|
|
Education Code, are amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(b-1) In this section: |
|
|
(1) "Common[, "common] core state standards" means the |
|
|
national curriculum standards developed by the Common Core State |
|
|
Standards Initiative. |
|
|
(2) "National sexuality education standards" means |
|
|
the national standards developed by the Future of Sex Education |
|
|
Initiative. |
|
|
(b-2) The State Board of Education may not adopt common core |
|
|
state standards or national sexuality education standards to comply |
|
|
with a duty imposed under this chapter. |
|
|
(b-4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, a |
|
|
school district or open-enrollment charter school may not be |
|
|
required to offer any aspect of a common core state standards |
|
|
curriculum or any aspect of the national sexuality education |
|
|
standards. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 28.004(e), Education Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
(e) Any course materials and instruction relating to human |
|
|
sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases, or human |
|
|
immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome |
|
|
shall be selected by the board of trustees with the advice of the |
|
|
local school health advisory council and: |
|
|
(1) must: |
|
|
(A) [(1)] present abstinence from sexual |
|
|
activity as the preferred choice of behavior in relationship to all |
|
|
sexual activity for unmarried persons of school age; |
|
|
(B) [(2)] devote more attention to abstinence |
|
|
from sexual activity than to any other behavior; |
|
|
(C) [(3)] emphasize that abstinence from sexual |
|
|
activity, if used consistently and correctly, is the only method |
|
|
that is 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy, sexually |
|
|
transmitted diseases, infection with human immunodeficiency virus |
|
|
or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and the emotional trauma |
|
|
associated with adolescent sexual activity; |
|
|
(D) [(4)] direct adolescents to a standard of |
|
|
behavior in which abstinence from sexual activity before marriage |
|
|
is the most effective way to prevent pregnancy, sexually |
|
|
transmitted diseases, and infection with human immunodeficiency |
|
|
virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome; and |
|
|
(E) [(5)] 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 |
|
|
curriculum content; and |
|
|
(2) may not be based on national sexuality education |
|
|
standards, as defined by Section 28.002(b-1). |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 |
|
|
school year. |
|
|
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |