Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HB1031 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
2	2	TNL006 11/20/2024 9:01:32 AM TNL006
3	3	State of Arkansas 1
4	4	95th General Assembly A Bill 2
5	5	Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1031 3
6	6	4
7	7	By: Representative A. Collins 5
8	8	6
9	9	7
10	10	For An Act To Be Entitled 8
11	11	AN ACT TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS HEALTHY LIFESTYLE 9
12	12	EDUCATION ACT OF 2025; TO ENSURE THE HEALTH 10
13	13	CURRICULUM IN ARKANSAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS ADDRESSES 11
14	14	CERTAIN HEALTH ISSUES FACING STUDENTS; AND FOR OTHER 12
15	15	PURPOSES. 13
16	16	14
17	17	15
18	18	Subtitle 16
19	19	TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS HEALTHY LIFESTYLE 17
20	20	EDUCATION ACT OF 2025; AND TO ENSURE THE 18
21	21	HEALTH CURRICULUM IN ARKANSAS PUBLIC 19
22	22	SCHOOLS ADDRESSES CERTAIN HEALTH ISSUES 20
23	23	FACING STUDENTS. 21
24	24	22
25	25	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 23
26	26	24
27	27	SECTION 1. DO NOT CODIFY. Title. 25
28	28	This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Arkansas Healthy 26
29	29	Lifestyle Education Act of 2025". 27
30	30	28
31	31	SECTION 2. DO NOT CODIFY. Legislative findings. 29
32	32	The General Assembly finds that: 30
33	33	(1) According to a 2023 report by the United Health Foundation, 31
34	34	Arkansas ranks number forty -eight (48) in the nation for overall health; 32
35	35	(2) Based on the 2018 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 33
36	36	High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Arkansas ranked highest in the nation 34
37	37	for the percentage of students who: 35
38	38	(A) Have considered suicide; 36 HB1031
39	39
40	40	2 11/20/2024 9:01:32 AM
41	41	(B) Are considered obese; 1
42	42	(C) Have been forced to have sex; or 2
43	43	(D) Use smokeless tobacco; 3
44	44	(3) According to data reported in 2022 by the Centers for 4
45	45	Disease Control and Prevention, Arkansas has the second highest teen birth 5
46	46	rate in the nation; and 6
47	47	(4) As a result of Arkansas's rankings in these nationwide 7
48	48	findings, it is imperative that the General Assembly ensure that certain 8
49	49	topics are addressed in the student health curriculum in our secondary public 9
50	50	schools. 10
51	51	11
52	52	SECTION 3. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 16, Subchapter 10, is 12
53	53	amended to add an additional section to read as follows: 13
54	54	6-16-1008. Health curriculum requirements. 14
55	55	(a) Beginning in the 2025 -2026 school year, each public school shall 15
56	56	offer a health course with a curriculum that provides evidence -based 16
57	57	instruction to each student in grades seven through twelve (7 -12) on: 17
58	58	(1)(A) Mental health issues. 18
59	59	(B) The mental health curriculum required under this 19
60	60	subdivision (a)(1) shall include without limitation: 20
61	61	(i) Suicide prevention methods; and 21
62	62	(ii) Information regarding recognition of mental 22
63	63	health crises; 23
64	64	(2)(A) Substance abuse and addiction issues. 24
65	65	(B) The substance abuse and addiction curriculum required 25
66	66	under this section shall include without limitation: 26
67	67	(i) Information regarding prescription drug abuse, 27
68	68	illicit drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and other substances known to be abused 28
69	69	during adolescence; and 29
70	70	(ii) Substance abuse, consequences of substance 30
71	71	abuse, and prevention methods; 31
72	72	(3)(A) Diet and obesity issues. 32
73	73	(B) The diet and obesity curriculum required under this 33
74	74	subdivision (a)(3) shall include information aimed at preventing physical 34
75	75	health issues, including without limitation: 35
76	76	(i) Obesity; 36 HB1031
77	77
78	78	3 11/20/2024 9:01:32 AM
79	79	(ii) Cardiovascular disease; and 1
80	80	(iii) Type 2 diabetes; 2
81	81	(4)(A) Tobacco use prevention and cessation. 3
82	82	(B) The tobacco use prevention and cessation curriculum 4
83	83	required under this section shall include without limitation information 5
84	84	regarding: 6
85	85	(i) Adverse health effects of using any form of 7
86	86	tobacco or nicotine delivery system; 8
87	87	(ii) E-cigarettes and vaping; 9
88	88	(iii) Addiction; and 10
89	89	(iv) Cessation; and 11
90	90	(5)(A) Teenage pregnancy prevention. 12
91	91	(B) The teenage pregnancy prevention curriculum required 13
92	92	under this subdivision (a)(5) shall include without limitation information 14
93	93	regarding: 15
94	94	(i) The prevention of unintended pregnancy and the 16
95	95	prevention of sexually transmitted infections through abstinence and 17
96	96	contraception; and 18
97	97	(ii) The topic of consent and healthy relationships. 19
98	98	(C) A parent or legal guardian may submit a written 20
99	99	request for his or her child to be excused from all or any part of the health 21
100	100	curriculum regarding teenage pregnancy prevention under this subdivision 22
101	101	(a)(5). 23
102	102	(b) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall: 24
103	103	(1) Identify and develop, in consultation with the University of 25
104	104	Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the Department of Health, evidence -based 26
105	105	health resources required under this section; and 27
106	106	(2) Provide professional development support regarding academic 28
107	107	health standards and evidence -based resources for teachers who are 29
108	108	responsible for implementing the health curriculum required under this 30
109	109	section. 31
110	110	32
111	111	33
112	112	34
113	113	35
114	114	36