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State of South Dakota  
EIGHTY-FIRST SESSION
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY,  2006  

776M0591  
SENATE BILL   NO.     196  

Introduced by:     Senators Adelstein, Knudson, Kooistra, McCracken, and Olson (Ed) and Representatives Roberts, Cutler, Glover, Halverson, McLaughlin, Sigdestad, and Thompson  



         FOR AN ACT ENTITLED, An Act to  require balanced instruction on human sexuality in public schools.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:
     Section  1.  That chapter 13-33 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
     Terms in this Act mean:
             (1)    "Age appropriate," suitable to a particular age or age group of children and adolescents based on the developing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capacity typical for that age or age group;
             (2)    "Medically accurate," verified or supported by the weight of research conducted in compliance with scientific methods and published in peer-reviewed journals, when appropriate, and recognized as accurate and objective by leading professional medical organizations and agencies with expertise in the relevant field.
     Section  2.  That chapter 13-33 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
     Instruction on human sexuality shall be provided to all students in grades six through eight in all public schools in this state. The instruction shall:
             (1)    Provide age appropriate and medically accurate information;
             (2)    Teach and strongly emphasize that abstinence is the only sure way to avoid pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections;
             (3)    Stress the value of abstinence while not devaluing those young people who have had or are having sexual intercourse;
             (4)    Provide information about the advantages and disadvantages of all contraceptives and barrier methods as a means to prevent pregnancy;
             (5)    Provide information about the advantages and disadvantages of all contraceptives and barrier methods as a means to reduce the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections, including HIV;
             (6)    Teach students the skills necessary to make responsible decisions about sexuality, including encouraging family communication about sexuality, informing the students how alcohol and drug use can impede responsible decision making, and stressing the importance of the involvement of both males and females in sexual decision making; and
             (7)    Help students gain knowledge about the physical, biological, and hormonal changes of adolescence and subsequent stages of human maturation.