2005-2006 Regular Session 1st House HR 768 & Senate S 368

Summary: REAL is a bill that would provide funding to states for comprehensive sexuality education programs that include medically accurate information about abstinence, contraception, and disease prevention. These programs will supply young people with the tools to make informed decisions, resist peer pressure, set goals, manage stress, be responsible, understand and accept diversity, build healthy relationships, and have access to up-to-date information about how they can protect themselves against sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS.

What You Should Know: The legislation was offered in response to the fact that since 1996, more than $1 billion in federal and state funding have been provided to abstinence-only education programs. In order to receive federal abstinence-only funding, grantees must agree to exclude information about the health benefits of contraception to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases from their educational programs. Currently, there is no federal appropriation designated for comprehensive sexuality education. Worse yet for our young people is that abstinence only education programs are teaching medically-incorrect information.

Primary Sponsor(s): Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) & Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) Introduction Date: 2/10/2005 (House & Senate)

Last Major Action:

House: 2/25/2005. Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Senate: 2/10/2005. Introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1305-1306)