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H.B. 411

             1     

PUBLIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM

             2     
AMENDMENTS

             3     
2000 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Sponsor: Bill Wright

             6      AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS; MODIFYING THE INSTRUCTION
             7      REQUIREMENTS PERTAINING TO COMMUNITY AND PERSONAL HEALTH,
             8      PHYSIOLOGY, PERSONAL HYGIENE, AND THE PREVENTION OF COMMUNICABLE
             9      DISEASE CURRICULUM TAUGHT IN GRADES EIGHT THROUGH 12; AND MAKING
             10      CERTAIN TECHNICAL CHANGES.
             11      This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
             12      AMENDS:
             13          53A-13-101, as last amended by Chapter 10, Laws of Utah 1996, Second Special Session
             14      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             15          Section 1. Section 53A-13-101 is amended to read:
             16           53A-13-101. Instruction in health -- Parental consent requirements -- Character
             17      habits -- Conduct and speech of school employees and volunteers -- Political and religious
             18      doctrine prohibited.
             19          (1) (a) The State Board of Education shall establish curriculum requirements under Section
             20      53A-1-402 , that include instruction in:
             21          (i) community and personal health;
             22          (ii) physiology;
             23          (iii) personal hygiene; and
             24          (iv) prevention of communicable disease.
             25          [(b) That instruction shall stress the importance of abstinence from all sexual activity
             26      before marriage and fidelity after marriage as methods for preventing certain communicable
             27      diseases.]


             28          (b) (i) That instruction shall teach only:
             29          (A) abstinence from sexual activity before marriage and fidelity after marriage;
             30          (B) personal skills that encourage individual choice of abstinence and fidelity; and
             31          (C) the negative consequences that occur when criminal prohibitions against fornication,
             32      adultery, and sodomy are violated by minors or adults.
             33          (ii) At no time may instruction be provided regarding any means or methods that facilitate
             34      or encourage the violation of any state or federal criminal law by a minor or an adult.
             35          (2) (a) Instruction in the courses described in Subsection (1) shall be consistent and
             36      systematic in grades eight through 12.
             37          (b) At the request of the board, the Department of Health shall cooperate with the board
             38      in developing programs to provide instruction in those areas.
             39          (3) (a) The board shall adopt rules that:
             40          (i) provide that the parental consent requirements of Sections 76-7-322 and 76-7-323 are
             41      complied with; and
             42          (ii) require a student's parent or legal guardian to be notified in advance and have an
             43      opportunity to review the information for which parental consent is required under Sections
             44      76-7-322 and 76-7-323 .
             45          (b) The board shall also provide procedures for disciplinary action for violation of Section
             46      76-7-322 or 76-7-323 .
             47          (4) Honesty, temperance, morality, courtesy, obedience to law, respect for and an
             48      understanding of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitutions of the United States and
             49      the state of Utah, Utah history including territorial and preterritorial development to the present,
             50      the essentials and benefits of the free enterprise system, respect for parents and home, and the
             51      dignity and necessity of honest labor and other skills, habits, and qualities of character which will
             52      promote an upright and desirable citizenry and better prepare students for a richer, happier life
             53      shall be taught in connection with regular school work.
             54          (5) (a) In keeping with the requirements of Subsection (4), and because school employees
             55      and volunteers serve as examples to their students, school employees or volunteers acting in their
             56      official capacities may not support or encourage criminal conduct by students, teachers, or
             57      volunteers.
             58          (b) To ensure the effective performance of school personnel, the limitations described in


             59      Subsection (5)(a) also apply to school employees or volunteers acting outside of their official
             60      capacities if:
             61          (i) they knew or should have known that their action could result in a material and
             62      substantial interference or disruption in the normal activities of the school; and
             63          (ii) that action does result in a material and substantial interference or disruption in the
             64      normal activities of the school.
             65          (c) Neither the State Office of Education nor local school districts may provide training
             66      of school employees or volunteers that supports or encourages criminal conduct.
             67          (d) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules implementing this section.
             68          (e) Nothing in this section limits the ability or authority of the State Board of Education
             69      and local school boards to enact and enforce rules or take actions that are otherwise lawful,
             70      regarding educators', employees', or volunteers' qualifications or behavior evidencing unfitness for
             71      duty.
             72          (6) Except as provided in Section 53A-13-101.1 , political, atheistic, sectarian, religious,
             73      or denominational doctrine may not be taught in the public schools.
             74          (7) (a) Local school boards and their employees shall cooperate and share responsibility
             75      in carrying out the purposes of this chapter.
             76          (b) Each school district shall provide appropriate inservice training for its teachers,
             77      counselors, and school administrators to enable them to understand, protect, and properly instruct
             78      students in the values and character traits referred to in this section and Sections 53A-13-101.1 ,
             79      53A-13-101.2 , 53A-13-101.3 , 53A-13-301 , and 53A-13-302 and distribute appropriate written
             80      materials on the values, character traits, and conduct to each individual receiving the inservice
             81      training.
             82          (c) The written materials shall also be made available to classified employees, students,
             83      and parents and guardians of students.
             84          (d) In order to assist school districts in providing the inservice training required under
             85      Subsection (7)(b), the State Board of Education shall, as appropriate, contract with a qualified
             86      individual or entity possessing expertise in the areas referred to in Subsection (7)(b) to develop and
             87      disseminate model teacher inservice programs which districts may use to train the individuals
             88      referred to in Subsection (7)(b) to effectively teach the values and qualities of character referenced
             89      in that subsection.


             90          (e) In accordance with [the provisions of] Subsection (5)(c), inservice training may not
             91      support or encourage criminal conduct.
             92          (8) If any one or more provision, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this
             93      section, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, is found to be unconstitutional,
             94      the balance of this section shall be given effect without the invalid provision, subsection, sentence,
             95      clause, phrase, or word.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-8-00 7:06 AM


A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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