HB385 Summary

• Amends Alabama Code Section 16-40A-2 to revise requirements for sex education curricula in public K-12 schools, emphasizing abstinence as the only completely effective protection against unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV/AIDS.

• Requires course materials and instruction on sexual health education to be age-appropriate and medically accurate, with emphasis on sexual abstinence outside of lawful marriage as the expected social standard for unmarried school-age persons.

• Mandates inclusion of instruction on contraception reliability, financial responsibilities of pregnancy and child rearing, laws prohibiting sexual abuse, coping with sexual exploitation, resisting peer pressure, and parenting skills including child support obligations.

• Requires schools to provide parents or guardians with advanced written notification before teaching sex education or human reproductive process content, and make curricula available to parents upon request.

• Effective on the first day of the third month following passage and approval by the Governor; passed by House on March 2, 2021, and Senate on April 20, 2021.