Bill Text: NY S06666 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended

---

Bill Title: Provides that all public schools shall include as a part of health education for grades K-12 instruction concerning the prevention and reporting of sexual abuse and assault.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-03-11 - PRINT NUMBER 6666A [S06666 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S06666-Amended.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         6666--A

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                     August 23, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules  --  recommitted  to
          the Committee on Education in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 --
          committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
          recommitted to said committee

        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to instruction  regarding
          the prevention and reporting of sexual abuse and assault

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Section 803-b of the education law, as added by chapter 187
     2  of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
     3    § 803-b. Courses of study in prevention of child  sexual  exploitation
     4  and child sexual abuse. 1. All pupils in grades [K-8] K-12 in all public
     5  schools in the state shall receive instruction designed to prevent child
     6  sexual  exploitation  and  child sexual abuse.  All public schools shall
     7  include, as an integral part of health education, instruction concerning
     8  the recognition, avoidance, refusal and reporting of incidences of sexu-
     9  al abuse and assault. Such program shall be defined by the  commissioner
    10  in  regulations  after consultation with the department of health and be
    11  designed to educate students, parents and  school  personnel  about  the
    12  prevention of child sexual exploitation and child sexual abuse in grades
    13  kindergarten through [eight] twelve. Such program shall include, but not
    14  be  limited  to  students  and  parents.  Nothing  in this section shall
    15  prevent the department from making model curriculum and resource materi-
    16  als available on the department's website.
    17    2. Age appropriate instruction concerning the recognition,  avoidance,
    18  refusal and reporting of incidences of sexual abuse and assault included
    19  in the health education provided to students at grades K-8 may be taught
    20  by  a  regular  classroom  teacher  or  by a certified teacher holding a
    21  certificate to teach health education. Instruction concerning the recog-
    22  nition, avoidance, refusal and reporting of incidences of  sexual  abuse

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00483-02-0
        S. 6666--A                          2

     1  and  assault  included  in  the health education provided to students at
     2  grades 9-12 shall be taught by teachers certified to teach health educa-
     3  tion.
     4    3.  The commissioner may provide technical assistance to assist in the
     5  development of curricula for such courses of study which  shall  be  age
     6  appropriate and developed according to the needs and abilities of pupils
     7  at successive grade levels in order to provide awareness, skills, infor-
     8  mation,  self-confidence  and  support to aid in the prevention of child
     9  sexual exploitation and  child  sexual  abuse.    The  commissioner,  in
    10  consultation  with  the  commissioner of health and child advocacy agen-
    11  cies, including but  not  limited  to  the  New  York  society  for  the
    12  prevention  of cruelty to children, shall be authorized to establish the
    13  age appropriate curricula to be taught pursuant to  subdivision  two  of
    14  this section.
    15    §  2.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
    16  the date on which it shall have become a law, provided, however, that if
    17  chapter 187 of the laws of 2019 shall not have taken effect on or before
    18  such date then this act shall take effect on the same date  and  in  the
    19  same manner as such chapter of the laws of 2019 takes effect.  Effective
    20  immediately  the  commissioner  of  education is authorized to adopt any
    21  rules or regulations necessary to implement the provisions of  this  act
    22  on such effective date.