H559 - Teen Dating Violence Prevention Act Summary

• Requires all local school boards to adopt and implement a dating violence and abuse policy by July 1, 2014, prohibiting such conduct on school property, during school-sponsored activities, and on school-sponsored transportation.

• Mandates that school health education curricula include instruction on dating violence and abuse, including definitions, warning signs of abusive behavior, prevention measures, and information about available resources and reporting procedures.

• Requires schools to focus health education on characteristics of healthy relationships and examine misconceptions and stereotypes related to dating violence, abuse, sexual assault, and sexual abuse.

• Specifies that school policies must provide procedures for responding to incidents of dating violence or abuse, including accommodations for affected students, and must be integrated with existing school discipline policies.

• Takes effect upon becoming law, with educational curriculum requirements beginning in the 2014-2015 school year.