GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2013

S                                                                                                                                                     1

SENATE BILL 132

 

 

Short Title:        Health Curriculum/Preterm Birth.

(Public)

Sponsors:

Senators Daniel, Tillman, Randleman (Primary Sponsors); and Brock.

Referred to:

Health Care.

February 26, 2013

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT TO include instruction in the school health education program on the preventable causes of preterm birth, including induced abortion as a cause of preterm birth in subsequent pregnancies, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE NORTH CAROLINA CHILD FATALITY TASK FORCE.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 115C-81(e1)(1) reads as rewritten:

"(e1)     School Health Education Program to Be Developed and Administered.

(1)        A comprehensive school health education program shall be developed and taught to pupils of the public schools of this State from kindergarten through ninth grade. This program includes age-appropriate instruction in the following subject areas, regardless of whether this instruction is described as, or incorporated into a description of, "family life education", "family health education", "health education", "family living", "health", "healthful living curriculum", or "self-esteem":

a.         Mental and emotional health.

b.         Drug and alcohol abuse prevention.

c.         Nutrition.

d.         Dental health.

e.         Environmental health.

f.          Family living.

g.         Consumer health.

h.         Disease control.

i.          Growth and development.

j.          First aid and emergency care, including the teaching of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the Heimlich maneuver by using hands-on training with mannequins so that students pass a test approved by the American Heart Association, or American Red Cross. Schools shall use for this purpose an instructional program developed by the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, or other nationally recognized programs that is based on the most current national evidence-based emergency cardiovascular care guidelines for CPR. Schools shall maintain documentation in an electronic database that students have successfully completed CPR instruction to meet Healthy Living Essential Standards. Successful completion of instruction in CPR shall be a requirement for high school graduation by the 2014-2015 school year.

k.         Preventing sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, and other communicable diseases.

l.          Reproductive health and safety education. The instruction program shall include information about the preventable causes of preterm birth, including induced abortion as a cause of preterm birth in subsequent pregnancies.

m.        Bicycle safety.

As used in this subsection, "HIV/AIDS" means Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome."

SECTION 2.  To facilitate the implementation of this act, within 60 days of this act becoming effective and annually thereafter, the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, shall provide to the Department of Public Instruction sample educational materials with the most current information available about the preventable causes of preterm birth, including induced abortion as a cause of preterm birth in subsequent pregnancies.

SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with the 2013-2014 school year.