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