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S.B. 75

             1     

PUBLIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM

             2     
AMENDMENTS

             3     
2001 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Sponsor: Bill Wright

             6      This act modifies provisions related to the State System of Public Education by providing
             7      that the State Board of Education shall approve instructional materials for use in health,
             8      physiology, hygiene, and prevention of communicable disease curricula that local school
             9      boards may choose to adopt. The act provides local schools with an option of using other
             10      instructional materials for the curricula consistent with state law and board rules
             11      emphasizing abstinence before marriage and fidelity after marriage.
             12      This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
             13      AMENDS:
             14          53A-13-101, as last amended by Chapter 10, Laws of Utah 1996, Second Special Session
             15      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             16          Section 1. Section 53A-13-101 is amended to read:
             17           53A-13-101. Instruction in health -- Parental consent requirements -- Character
             18      habits -- Conduct and speech of school employees and volunteers -- Political and religious
             19      doctrine prohibited.
             20          (1) (a) The State Board of Education shall establish curriculum requirements under Section
             21      53A-1-402 , that include instruction in:
             22          (i) community and personal health;
             23          (ii) physiology;
             24          (iii) personal hygiene; and
             25          (iv) prevention of communicable disease.
             26          (b) (i) That instruction shall stress:
             27          (A) the importance of abstinence from all sexual activity before marriage and fidelity after


             28      marriage as methods for preventing certain communicable diseases[.]; and
             29          (B) personal skills that encourage individual choice of abstinence and fidelity.
             30          (ii) At no time may instruction be provided, including responses to spontaneous questions
             31      raised by students, regarding any means or methods that facilitate or encourage the violation of any
             32      state or federal criminal law by a minor or an adult.
             33          (c) (i) The board shall approve instructional materials for use in the curricula required
             34      under Subsection (1)(a) upon recommendation of the State Textbook Commission or its successor.
             35          (ii) A local school board may choose to adopt:
             36          (A) the instructional materials approved under Subsection (1)(c)(i); or
             37          (B) other instructional materials as provided in state board rule.
             38          (iii) The state board rule made under Subsection (1)(c)(ii)(B) shall include, at a minimum:
             39          (A) that the materials adopted by a local school board under Subsection (1)(c)(ii)(B) shall
             40      be based upon recommendations of the school district's Curriculum Materials Review Committee
             41      that comply with state law and state board rules emphasizing abstinence before marriage and
             42      fidelity after marriage, and prohibiting instruction in:
             43          (I) the intricacies of intercourse, sexual stimulation, or erotic behavior;
             44          (II) the advocacy of homosexuality;
             45          (III) the advocacy or encouragement of the use of contraceptive methods or devices; or
             46          (IV) the advocacy of sexual activity outside of marriage;
             47          (B) that the adoption of instructional materials shall take place in an open and regular
             48      meeting of the local school board for which prior notice is given to parents and guardians of
             49      students attending schools in the district and an opportunity for them to express their views and
             50      opinions on the materials at the meeting;
             51          (C) provision for an appeal and review process of the local school board's decision; and
             52          (D) provision for a report by the local school board to the State Board of Education of the
             53      action taken and the materials adopted by the local school board under Subsections (1)(c)(ii)(B)
             54      and (1)(c)(iii).
             55          (2) (a) Instruction in the courses described in Subsection (1) shall be consistent and
             56      systematic in grades eight through 12.
             57          (b) At the request of the board, the Department of Health shall cooperate with the board
             58      in developing programs to provide instruction in those areas.


             59          (3) (a) The board shall adopt rules that:
             60          (i) provide that the parental consent requirements of Sections 76-7-322 and 76-7-323 are
             61      complied with; and
             62          (ii) require a student's parent or legal guardian to be notified in advance and have an
             63      opportunity to review the information for which parental consent is required under Sections
             64      76-7-322 and 76-7-323 .
             65          (b) The board shall also provide procedures for disciplinary action for violation of Section
             66      76-7-322 or 76-7-323 .
             67          (4) Honesty, temperance, morality, courtesy, obedience to law, respect for and an
             68      understanding of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitutions of the United States and
             69      the state of Utah, Utah history including territorial and preterritorial development to the present,
             70      the essentials and benefits of the free enterprise system, respect for parents and home, and the
             71      dignity and necessity of honest labor and other skills, habits, and qualities of character which will
             72      promote an upright and desirable citizenry and better prepare students for a richer, happier life
             73      shall be taught in connection with regular school work.
             74          (5) (a) In keeping with the requirements of Subsection (4), and because school employees
             75      and volunteers serve as examples to their students, school employees or volunteers acting in their
             76      official capacities may not support or encourage criminal conduct by students, teachers, or
             77      volunteers.
             78          (b) To ensure the effective performance of school personnel, the limitations described in
             79      Subsection (5)(a) also apply to school employees or volunteers acting outside of their official
             80      capacities if:
             81          (i) they knew or should have known that their action could result in a material and
             82      substantial interference or disruption in the normal activities of the school; and
             83          (ii) that action does result in a material and substantial interference or disruption in the
             84      normal activities of the school.
             85          (c) Neither the State Office of Education nor local school districts may provide training
             86      of school employees or volunteers that supports or encourages criminal conduct.
             87          (d) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules implementing this section.
             88          (e) Nothing in this section limits the ability or authority of the State Board of Education
             89      and local school boards to enact and enforce rules or take actions that are otherwise lawful,


             90      regarding educators', employees', or volunteers' qualifications or behavior evidencing unfitness for
             91      duty.
             92          (6) Except as provided in Section 53A-13-101.1 , political, atheistic, sectarian, religious,
             93      or denominational doctrine may not be taught in the public schools.
             94          (7) (a) Local school boards and their employees shall cooperate and share responsibility
             95      in carrying out the purposes of this chapter.
             96          (b) Each school district shall provide appropriate inservice training for its teachers,
             97      counselors, and school administrators to enable them to understand, protect, and properly instruct
             98      students in the values and character traits referred to in this section and Sections 53A-13-101.1 ,
             99      53A-13-101.2 , 53A-13-101.3 , 53A-13-301 , and 53A-13-302 and distribute appropriate written
             100      materials on the values, character traits, and conduct to each individual receiving the inservice
             101      training.
             102          (c) The written materials shall also be made available to classified employees, students,
             103      and parents and guardians of students.
             104          (d) In order to assist school districts in providing the inservice training required under
             105      Subsection (7)(b), the State Board of Education shall as appropriate, contract with a qualified
             106      individual or entity possessing expertise in the areas referred to in Subsection (7)(b) to develop and
             107      disseminate model teacher inservice programs which districts may use to train the individuals
             108      referred to in Subsection (7)(b) to effectively teach the values and qualities of character referenced
             109      in that subsection.
             110          (e) In accordance with the provisions of Subsection (5)(c), inservice training may not
             111      support or encourage criminal conduct.
             112          (8) If any one or more provision, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this
             113      section, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, is found to be unconstitutional,
             114      the balance of this section shall be given effect without the invalid provision, subsection, sentence,
             115      clause, phrase, or word.





Legislative Review Note
    as of 12-13-00 9:02 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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