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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 947 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 656
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
James J. O'Day and Vanna Howard
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to healthy youth.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:James J. O'Day14th Worcester1/14/2025Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/14/2025Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/27/2025Natalie M. Higgins4th Worcester1/28/2025Samantha Montaño15th Suffolk2/4/2025Danillo A. Sena37th Middlesex2/4/2025Erika Uyterhoeven27th Middlesex2/6/2025Michelle L. Badger1st Plymouth2/6/2025Manny Cruz7th Essex2/10/2025Jennifer Balinsky Armini8th Essex2/12/2025James C. Arena-DeRosa8th Middlesex2/13/2025Tara T. Hong18th Middlesex2/13/2025Tram T. Nguyen18th Essex2/24/2025David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf17th Worcester2/24/2025Rob Consalvo14th Suffolk2/24/2025Antonio F. D. Cabral13th Bristol2/25/2025Jason M. LewisFifth Middlesex2/27/2025Christine P. Barber34th Middlesex3/4/2025 2 of 2
Sean Garballey23rd Middlesex3/7/2025Kevin G. Honan17th Suffolk3/7/2025 1 of 6
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 947 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 656
By Representatives O'Day of West Boylston and Howard of Lowell, a petition (accompanied by
bill, House, No. 656) of James J. O'Day, Lindsay N. Sabadosa and others relative to public
schools choosing to teach human sexual education or human sexuality issues. Education.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act relative to healthy youth.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 69 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
2section 1E the following section:-
3 Section 1E ½. Each city, town, regional school district, vocational school district and
4charter school shall file a biennial report regarding sexual health education, which shall include,
5but not be limited to, for each city, town, regional school district, vocational school district and
6charter school, by grade level: (i) the name and a description of any sexual health education
7curriculum offered; (ii) the approximate number of hours spent on sexual health education; (iii)
8the number of students enrolled in sexual health education; and (iv) the number of students who
9withdrew from sexual health education under section 32A of chapter 71. The report shall be filed
10with the board of elementary and secondary education each even-numbered year by a date and in
11a format to be determined by the board.
12 2 of 6
13 The commissioner shall make the data collected under this section available to the public
14on the department’s website and transmit the data to the department of public health within 30
15days of the date established by the board for the filing of biennial reports under this section.
16 SECTION 2. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section
1732A, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following 2 sections:-
18 Section 32A. A city, town, regional school district, vocational school district or charter
19school implementing or maintaining a curriculum that primarily involves sexual education shall
20adopt a written policy ensuring that parents and guardians are notified of: (i) the comprehensive
21sexual health education offered by the school; (ii) the right of a parent or guardian to withdraw a
22student from all or part of the instruction; and (iii) the process for a parent or guardian to notify
23the school of a student’s withdrawal. The policy shall include a process for a parent or guardian,
24at the parent or guardian’s request, to inspect the instruction materials prior to the start of the
25course.
26 To the extent possible, such notifications shall be provided in English and in other
27commonly spoken languages spoken by parents and guardians of students in the district or
28charter school. Annually, not later than the first day of a school year, the policy shall be
29distributed to the parents and guardians of students in a grade that includes a comprehensive
30sexual health education curriculum for said school year. The policy shall be distributed in the
31same manner as any student handbook that is distributed to students; provided, however, that if
32student handbooks are not distributed in a certain grade, the policy shall be distributed in the
33same manner as other notices provided to parents and guardians of students in that grade at the
34start of the school year. 3 of 6
35 Each district and charter school shall send a copy of its policy, including, if applicable,
36the name of the comprehensive sexual health education curriculum to the department of
37elementary and secondary education upon adoption of the policy and upon any amendment of the
38policy.
39 If a parent or guardian withdraws a student from all or part of the comprehensive sexual
40health education curriculum, the student shall not be subject to disciplinary action, academic
41penalty or any other sanction. An alternative educational activity shall be made available to a
42student who has been withdrawn from the sexual health education instruction.
43 Section 32B. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the
44following meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
45
46 “Age-appropriate”, topics, messages and teaching methods that are suitable to particular
47ages or age groups of children and adolescents and based on developing cognitive, emotional,
48social and behavioral capacity typical for that age or age group.
49
50 “Department”, the department of elementary and secondary education.
51
52 “Medically accurate”, supported by peer-reviewed research conducted in compliance
53with accepted scientific methods and recognized as accurate and objective by leading medical,
54psychological, psychiatric and public health organizations and agencies and, if relevant,
55published in peer-reviewed journals. 4 of 6
56
57 (b) For the purposes of this section, a curriculum’s discussions of the terms “consent”,
58“gender expression”, “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” shall be construed consistently
59with the terms as used or defined in the annual report of the commission on lesbian, gay,
60bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth established under section 67 of chapter 3.
61
62 (c) A city, town, regional school district, vocational school district or charter school that
63offers sexual health curriculum shall provide a medically accurate, age-appropriate,
64comprehensive sexual health education consistent with the Massachusetts Comprehensive Health
65and Physical Education Curriculum Framework. Sexual health education shall be appropriate for
66students regardless of gender, race, disability status, sexual orientation or gender identity and
67shall include, but not be limited to, age-appropriate teaching of: (i) physical, social and
68emotional changes of human development; (ii) human anatomy, reproduction and sexual
69development; (iii) the benefits of abstinence and delaying sexual activity, the prevention of
70sexually transmitted infections, including, but not limited to, human immunodeficiency virus and
71acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and the prevention of unintended pregnancy, including,
72but not limited to, the effective use of contraceptives and barrier methods; (iv) ways to
73effectively discuss safe sexual activity; (v) relationship and communication skills to form
74healthy, respectful relationships free of violence, coercion and intimidation and to make healthy
75decisions about relationships and sexuality, including, but not limited to, affirmative, conscious
76and voluntary consent to engage in physical or sexual activity; (vi) skills to recognize and
77prevent dating violence; and (vii) age-appropriate information about: (A) gender identity and 5 of 6
78sexual orientation for all students, including affirmative education that people have different
79sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions; and (B) resources and support
80services for all students, including, but not limited to, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,
81intersex, agender, queer and questioning students. Sexual health education shall incorporate
82opportunities for students to analyze societal and media messages.
83
84 (d) Any city, town, regional school district, vocational school district or charter school
85that utilizes curricula consistent with the Massachusetts Comprehensive Health and Physical
86Education Curriculum Framework shall be in compliance with this section.
87
88 (e) The department shall issue rules to implement, administer and ensure compliance with
89this section.
90
91 (f) The department may determine minimum education and training qualifications for
92sexual health education instructors.
93
94 (g) Not less than every 10 years, the board of elementary and secondary education shall
95review and update the Massachusetts Comprehensive Health and Physical Education Curriculum
96Framework, including provisions relative to sexual health education consistent with this section,
97in accordance with section 1E of chapter 69. 6 of 6
98
99 SECTION 3. This act shall take effect for the academic year immediately following its
100passage.