H 5053 General Bill, By Harvin
 A Bill to amend the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, by adding Section
 59-335 so as to require a parent under the age of eighteen who attends public
 school to attend parenting classes; to amend Section 59-32-20, relating to
 comprehensive health education instructional units provided to local school
 districts by the State Board of Education, so as to require the Board to
 provide information on parenting skills to local school districts; and to
 amend Section 59-32-30, relating to the implementation of comprehensive health
 education programs by local school boards, so as to require each local school
 board to implement a program of instruction on parenting for a parent who is
 under the age of eighteen and attends a public school.

   05/22/96  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-7
   05/22/96  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-7

A BILL

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 59-32-35 SO AS TO REQUIRE A PARENT UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN WHO ATTENDS PUBLIC SCHOOL TO ATTEND PARENTING CLASSES; TO AMEND SECTION 59-32-20, RELATING TO COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH EDUCATION INSTRUCTIONAL UNITS PROVIDED TO LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE BOARD TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON PARENTING SKILLS TO LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS; AND TO AMEND SECTION 59-32-30, RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS BY LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS, SO AS TO REQUIRE EACH LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD TO IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM OF INSTRUCTION ON PARENTING FOR A PARENT WHO IS UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN AND ATTENDS A PUBLIC SCHOOL.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Chapter 32 of Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 59-32-35. A student who is a parent shall attend parenting classes as provided in Section 59-32-30 of the Comprehensive Health Education Act."

SECTION 2. Section 59-32-20 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59-32-20. Before August 1, 1988, The board, through the department, shall select or develop an instructional unit with separate components addressing the subjects of reproductive health education, family life education, pregnancy prevention education, parenting skills, and sexually transmitted diseases and make the instructional unit available to local school districts. The board, through the department, also shall make available information about other programs developed by other states upon request of a local school district."

SECTION 3. Section 59-32-30(A) of the 1976 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 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 1988-89 school year, 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. 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.

(3) Beginning with the 1989-90 school year, a 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 program of instruction provided for in this section may not include a discussion of alternate sexual lifestyles from heterosexual relationships including, but not limited to, homosexual relationships except in the context of instruction concerning sexually transmitted diseases.

(6) In grades nine through twelve, students must also be given appropriate instruction that adoption is a positive alternative.

(7) In grades six through twelve, parenting classes must be provided for students who are parents."

SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.