FILED ON: 3/20/2012

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4148

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Twelve

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An Act regarding an analysis of health education in the Commonwealth.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. The department of elementary and secondary education, in consultation with the department of public health, shall conduct a statewide analysis of and submit a report on the provision of health education by school districts and Commonwealth charter schools. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the following information for each public school district and Commonwealth charter school:-

(a) a description of health education curricula offered in each grade level and whether these programs are aligned with the comprehensive health strands and learning standards recommended in the Massachusetts comprehensive health curriculum frameworks;

(b) the number of students receiving such health education by grade level;

(c) health education requirements by grade level; and

(d) the number of students at each school surveyed who opt-out of any portion of the health education curriculum under the provisions of section 32A of chapter 71.

The department shall report its finding and any recommendations concerning health education to the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, who shall forward the same to the chairs of the joint committee on education and the chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and means on or before June 30, 2013.  The department of elementary and secondary education shall submit an update to the joint committee on education on the status of its efforts to complete this report on or before December 31, 2012.

SECTION 2. The department of elementary and secondary education, in conjunction with the department of public health, shall provide linkages for resources and programs on health education. The department shall biennially update the list and shall post it on the department’s website.