UNAPPROVED DRAFT BILL -- Subject to Change Without Notice!
JOINT RESOLUTION NO.
INTRODUCED BY
(Primary Sponsor)
A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA URGING THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION TO ADOPT UNIFORM AND APPROPRIATE COURSE MATERIAL AND INSTRUCTION FOR SEX EDUCATION AND HUMAN SEXUALITY COURSES.
WHEREAS, sex education and human sexuality education courses are taught in many public schools; and
WHEREAS, course material should be uniform and appropriate for the age of the pupils; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Public Education has the authority to specify the basic educational program for pupils in public schools.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
That the Board of Public Education be urged to adopt uniform course material and instruction for all human sexuality education courses that discuss human sexuality in public elementary and secondary schools and that are designed to enhance students' understanding of sexuality as a normal and healthy aspect of human development. The Board is urged to adopt standards for course instruction that is appropriate for the age of the pupils and that satisfies the following criteria:
(1) The instruction must be comprehensive.
(2) As an integral part of the health education curriculum, the instruction must include information about responsible sexual behaviors and hygienic practices that eliminate or reduce the risks of pregnancy, exposure to human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B, and other infectious or sexually transmitted diseases and must be designed to allay those fears concerning the risks that are scientifically groundless.
(3) The instruction must promote abstinence for school age youth and mutually monogamous relationships with an uninfected partner for adults as the safest and most responsible sexual behavior. However, abstinence may not be taught to the exclusion of other material and instruction on contraceptive and disease reduction measures. Human sexuality education courses must acknowledge the value of abstinence while not devaluing or ignoring those young people who have had or are having sexual intercourse.
(4) The instruction must include a discussion of the possible emotional, physical, and psychological consequences of preadolescent and adolescent sexual intercourse and the emotional, physical, and psychological consequences of unintended pregnancy. Pupils must be provided with statistics based on the latest medical information regarding both the possible side effects and health benefits of all forms of contraceptives, including the success and failure rates for prevention of pregnancy.
(5) The instruction must stress that sexually transmitted diseases are serious possible hazards of sexual contact. Pupils must be provided with statistics based on the latest medical information regarding the efficacy of contraceptives in preventing human immunodeficiency virus infection and other sexually transmitted diseases.
(6) The instruction should advise pupils of the laws pertaining to their financial responsibility for their children and advise pupils of the circumstances in which it is unlawful under sections 45-5-502 and 45-5-503, MCA, for persons 18 years of age or older to have sexual relations with persons younger than 16 years of age to whom they are not married.
(7) The instruction must teach that no form of sexual expression is acceptable when it physically or emotionally harms oneself or others and must teach pupils not to make unwanted physical and verbal sexual advances and how to decline unwanted sexual advances or accept the refusal of unwanted sexual advances. Pupils must be taught that it is wrong to take advantage of or to exploit another person. Materials and information must be presented in a manner sensitive to the fact that there are students who have experienced sexual abuse.
(8) The courses must validate through course material and instruction the importance of honesty with oneself and others, respect for each person's dignity and well-being, and responsibility for one's actions.
(9) The courses must assist students in the development and practice of effective communication skills, the development of self-esteem, and the ability to resist peer pressure.
(10) The courses must encourage family communication and involvement and help students learn to make responsible decisions.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that:
(1) Schools located in counties with the highest teenage pregnancy rates as determined by the Department of Public Health and Human Services receive funding for training of kindergarten through grade 12 teachers in techniques to integrate information to reduce teenage pregnancy;
(2) teacher training focus on comprehensive family life education and use a curriculum that enables teachers to integrate information about a broad range of risk behaviors, including teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, and violence;
(3) funding for teacher training include coverage of salaries for teachers during training and provision of substitute teachers while teachers are being trained;
(4) any course in any public elementary and secondary school, the main purpose of which is to teach human sexuality education or human immunodeficiency virus education, or both, emphasize that abstinence from sexual contact is the only method that is 100% effective against unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and human immunodeficiency virus when transmitted sexually. Abstinence should be stressed, but not to the exclusion of other material and instruction on contraceptive and disease reduction measures. The courses should acknowledge the value of abstinence while not devaluing or ignoring those young people who have had or are having sexual intercourse.
(5) the content of courses and instruction urged for adoption in this resolution be not intended to prohibit instruction in sanitation, hygiene, or traditional courses in biology.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Secretary of State send a copy of this resolution to the Board of Public Education.
- END -
Latest Version of LC 1310 (LC1310.01)
Processed for the Web on January 30, 2001 (3:53PM)
New language in a bill appears underlined, deleted material appears stricken.
Sponsor names are handwritten on introduced bills, hence do not appear on the bill until it is reprinted. See the status of this bill for the bill's primary sponsor.
Status of this Bill | 2001 Legislature | Leg. Branch Home
This bill in WP 5.1 | All versions of all bills in WP 5.1
Authorized print version w/line numbers (PDF format)
(406)444-3064