S 41 — Reproductive Health Education

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11, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online South Carolina General Assembly126th Session, 2025-2026Bill 41Indicates Matter StrickenIndicates New Matter(Text matches printed bills.

Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)                 A bill   TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 59-32-10, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM, SO AS TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EDUCATION" TO PROVIDE FOR AGE-APPROPRIATE, COMPREHENSIVE, AND MEDICALLY ACCURATE INSTRUCTION, AND TO PROVIDE THAT ABSTINENCE MAY NOT BE TAUGHT AS THE ONLY OR PRIMARY METHOD OF PREGNANCY PREVENTION AND THE PREVENTION OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES;

BY AMENDING SECTION 59-32-10, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM, SO AS TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "PREGNANCY PREVENTION EDUCATION" TO INCLUDE THE BENEFITS OF ABSTINENCE UNTIL MARRIAGE;

AND BY AMENDING SECTION 59-32-30, RELATING TO LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS IMPLEMENTING THE COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM, SO AS TO INCLUDE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND PREGNANCY PREVENTION EDUCATION IN THE CURRICULUM FOR GRADES SIX THROUGH EIGHT.

  Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

  SECTION 1.  Section 59-32-10(2) of the S.C.

Code is amended to read:

      (2) "Reproductive health education" means age-appropriate, comprehensive, and medically accurate instruction in human physiology, conception, prenatal care and development, childbirth, and postnatal care, but does not include instruction concerning sexual practices outside marriage or practices unrelated to reproduction except within the context of the risk of disease.

Abstinence and the risks associated with sexual activity outside of marriage must be strongly emphasized may be discussed, but abstinence may not be the only or primary method of pregnancy prevention or prevention of sexually transmitted diseases discussed.

  SECTION 2.  Section 59-32-10(4)(a) of the S.C.

Code is amended to read:

      (a) stress the importance of abstaining from sexual activity discuss the benefits of practicing abstinence until marriage;

  SECTION 3.  Section 59-32-30(A) of the S.C.

Code is amended to read:

      (A) Pursuant to guidelines developed by the board, each local school board shall implement the following program of instruction:

       (1) Beginning with the 1988-89 school year, for For grades kindergarten through five, instruction in comprehensive health education must include the following subjects:

community health, consumer health, environmental health, growth and development, nutritional health, personal health, prevention and control of diseases and disorders, safety and accident prevention, substance use and abuse, dental health, and mental and emotional health.

Sexually transmitted diseases as defined in the annual Department of Health and Environmental Control List of Reportable Diseases are to be excluded from instruction on the prevention and control of diseases and disorders.

At the discretion of the local board, age-appropriate instruction in reproductive health may be included.

       (2) Beginning with the 1988-1989 school year, for For grades six through eight, instruction in comprehensive health must include the following subjects:

community health, consumer health, environmental health, growth and development, nutritional health, personal health, prevention and control of diseases and disorders, safety and accident prevention, substance use and abuse, dental health, mental and emotional health, and reproductive health education, domestic violence, and pregnancy prevention education.

Sexually transmitted diseases are to be included as a part of instruction.

At the discretion of the local board, instruction in family life education or pregnancy prevention education or both may be included, but instruction in these subjects may not include an explanation of the methods of contraception before the sixth grade.

Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year School Year, for grades six through eight, instruction in comprehensive health education also must include the subject of domestic violence.

       (3) Beginning with the 1989-90 school year, at At least one time during the four years of grades nine through twelve, each student shall receive instruction in comprehensive health education, including at least seven hundred fifty minutes of reproductive health education and pregnancy prevention education.

       (4) The South Carolina Educational Television Commission shall work with the department in developing instructional programs and materials that may be available to the school districts.

Films and other materials may be designed for the purpose of explaining bodily functions or the human reproductive process.

These materials may not contain actual or simulated portrayals of sexual activities or sexual intercourse.

       (5) The program of instruction provided for in this section may not include a discussion of alternate sexual lifestyles from heterosexual relationships including, but not limited to, homosexual relationships except in the context of instruction concerning sexually transmitted diseases.

       (6) In grades nine through twelve, students must also be given appropriate instruction that adoption is a positive alternative.

       (7) At least one time during the entire four years of grades nine through twelve, each student shall receive instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which must include, but not be limited to, hands-only CPR and must include awareness in the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Each school district shall use a program that incorporates the instruction of the psychomotor skills necessary to perform CPR developed by the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, or an instructional program that is nationally recognized and based on the most current national evidence-based emergency cardiovascular care guidelines for CPR and awareness in the use of an AED.

Local and statewide school districts shall coordinate with entities that have the experience and necessary equipment for the instruction of CPR and awareness in the use of AEDs;

provided, however, that virtual schools may administer the instruction virtually and are exempt from any in-person instructional requirements.

A school district must adopt a policy providing a waiver for this requirement for a student absent on the day the instruction occurred, a student with a disability whose individualized education program indicates such student is unable to complete all or a portion of the hands-only CPR requirement, or a student whose parent or guardian completes, in writing, a form approved by the school district opting out of hands-only CPR instruction and AED awareness.

The State Board of Education shall incorporate CPR training and AED awareness into the South Carolina Health and Safety Education Curriculum Standards and promulgate regulations to implement this section.

  SECTION 4.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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