This bill requires that every public school in Washington provides comprehensive sexual health education consistent with state health and physical education K-12 learning standards, including evidence-informed and inclusive of all students regardless of their protected class statues. The curriculum must be skills-based and includes both abstinence and other methods of preventing unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, promoting healthy relationships based on mutual respect and affection and free from violence, coercion, and intimidation; how to identify and respond to attitudes and behaviors that contribute to sexual violence; and emphasizes the importance of affirmative consent.
The Superintendent of Public Instruction must develop these comprehensive sexual health education instructional materials and make them available on the OSPI website by September 1, 2019. Public schools must then use curriculum that complies.
Parents/legal guardians can have their child(ren) excused from comprehensive sexual education by filing a written request to the principal or school board.
