Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for SB1619

Creates the Personal Responsibility Education Program Act. Provides that if an elementary or secondary public school offers sex education or sexual health education, the education must be medically accurate and developmentally and age appropriate and must include instruction regarding the benefits of delaying or abstaining from sexual activity. Requires school districts to make curriculum and course materials available for viewing upon request. Provides that a pupil must be excused for any part of the instruction at the written request of his or her parent or guardian. Provides that a pupil must not be subject to disciplinary action, an academic penalty, or any other sanction if the pupil's parent or guardian requests in writing that the pupil not receive the instruction. Requires the Department of Human Services to adopt rules; specifies requirements for the rules. With respect to teen pregnancy prevention and sexual health education, requires this State, through the appropriate State agency or department, to seek available funds from the federal government allocated to evidenced-based teen pregnancy prevention programs. Amends the School Code to make changes concerning sex education course material and instruction requirements. Amends the Critical Health Problems and Comprehensive Health Education Act to replace references from "abstinence until marriage" to "abstinence" in a Section setting forth what areas the comprehensive health education program must include.

Deletes everything after the enacting clause. Amends the School Code and the Critical Health Problems and Comprehensive Health Education Act. Provides that each class or course in comprehensive sex education offered in any of grades 6 through 12 shall include instruction on both abstinence and contraception for the prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS (instead of instruction on the prevention, transmission, and spread of AIDS). Removes a provision that requires all public elementary, junior high, and senior high school classes that teach sex education and discuss sexual intercourse to emphasize that abstinence is the expected norm. Provides that all public elementary, junior high, and senior high school classes that teach sex education and discuss sexual intercourse shall satisfy specified criteria (instead of all sex education courses that discuss sexual intercourse shall satisfy specified criteria); makes changes to that criteria. Provides that an opportunity shall be afforded to individuals (not just parents or guardians) to examine the instructional materials to be used in the class or course. Provides that the State Board of Education shall make available resource materials for educating children regarding sex education and may take into consideration the curriculum on this subject developed by other states, as well as any other curricular materials suggested by education experts and other groups that work on sex education issues. Provides that materials may include without limitation model sex education curriculums and sexual health education programs. Requires the State Board to make these resource materials available on its Internet website. Allows school districts to adapt such programs to the specific needs of their communities. Provides that the Comprehensive Health Education Program shall include the educational area of evidence-based and medically accurate information regarding sexual abstinence (instead of the area of sexual abstinence until marriage).

Provides that the requirement that class material and instruction place substantial emphasis on abstinence include the option of abstinence until marriage. Provides that school districts that do not currently provide sex education are not required to teach sex education. Provides that if a sex education class or course is offered in any of grades 6 through 12, the school district may choose and adapt the developmentally and age-appropriate, medically accurate, evidence-based, and complete sex education curriculum that meets the specific needs of its community (instead of providing that school districts may adapt programs to the specific needs of their communities).

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