South Carolina S 41: Reproductive Health Education

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 41 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 11, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 41

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates 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 pr