New York S 1070: Establishes an age-appropriate sex education grant program, to be referred to as the healthy teens act

Bill Text

STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1070
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 6, 2017
___________
Introduced by Sens. RIVERA, HOYLMAN -- read twice and ordered printed,
and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing the
age-appropriate sex education grant program, to be referred to as the
healthy teens act
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "healthy teens act".
3 § 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new article 14-A to
4 read as follows:
5 ARTICLE 14-A
6 AGE-APPROPRIATE SEX EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM
7 Section 1450. Definitions.
8 1451. Establishment of age-appropriate sex education grant
9 program; general components.
10 1452. Age-appropriate sex education grant program awards.
11 1453. Application for grants; age-appropriate sex education
12 grant program plan.
13 1454. Maintenance of effort.
14 1455. Annual reports by grant recipients.
15 1456. Notification to potential applicants.
16 1457. Regulations.
17 § 1450. Definitions. For the purposes of this article, the following
18 terms shall have the following meanings:
19 1. "Eligible applicant" means (a) a public school district, (b) a
20 board of cooperative educational services, (c) a school-based health
21 center, (d) a community based organization which may be a for-profit
22 corporation or entity or not-for-profit corporation or organization, or
23 (e) a consortium or partnership formed by a public school district, a
24 board of cooperative educational services and/or a school-based health
EXPLANATION--Matter in (underscored) is new; matter in bracketsitalics
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00947-01-7

S. 1070 2
1 center and one or more community based organizations which qualifies for
2 the award of an age-appropriate sex education grant by the commissioner
3 under this article.
4 2. "Grant program plan" means the plan submitted to the commissioner
5 by an eligible applicant under section fourteen hundred fifty-one of
6 this article.
7 3. "State income standard" means the most recent federal income offi-
8 cial poverty line as defined annually and revised by the federal office
9 of management and budget adjusted for family size.
10 4. "Age-appropriate sex education grant program" means a comprehensive
11 age-appropriate sex education program conducted by an eligible applicant
12 under section fourteen hundred fifty-one of this article.
13 5. "School-based health center" means a clinic licensed under article
14 twenty-eight of this chapter, or sponsored by a facility licensed under
15 article twenty-eight of this chapter, which provides primary care
16 services within an elementary or secondary public school setting.
17 § 1451. Establishment of age-appropriate sex education grant program;
18 general components. 1. There is hereby established within the department
19 an age-appropriate sex education grant program. The program shall be
20 formulated by the commissioner after consultation with the commissioner
21 of education. The purpose of the program shall be to provide grants to
22 eligible applicants to support age-appropriate sex education grant
23 programs for young people which provides them with topics of instruction
24 in the components set forth in subdivision two of this section.
25 2. In order for an eligible applicant to receive an award of an annual
26 grant under subdivision three of this section, such an applicant shall
27 submit with its application the components of instruction which shall be
28 offered in its age-appropriate sex education grant program. The commis-
29 sioner shall determine certain topics of instruction to be optional for
30 age-appropriate reasons as shall be specified by the commissioner in
31 application instructions made available by the department for the
32 purposes of implementing this article. It is not necessary to provide
33 equal emphasis on each component of instruction, however a project may
34 not be inconsistent with any of the components. The components of
35 instruction shall include whether such instruction:
36 (a) is age-appropriate and medically-accurate;
37 (b) does not teach or promote religion, provided that this paragraph
38 shall not preclude discussion of moral, ethical or religious views
39 related to sex or sexual relationships;
40 (c) teaches that abstinence is the only sure way to avoid pregnancy or
41 sexually transmitted diseases;
42 (d) stresses the value of abstinence while not ignoring those adoles-
43 cents who have had or who are having sexual intercourse;
44 (e) provides information about the health benefits and side effects of
45 all contraceptives and barrier methods as a means to prevent pregnancy;
46 (f) provides information about the health benefits and side effects of
47 all contraceptive