Relating to child sexual abuse and child sexual assault awareness and prevention

This bill relates to child sexual abuse and sexual assault awareness and prevention by providing that continuing education activities authorized by the board of educational examiners for purposes of renewing a license, certificate, statement of professional recognition, or authorization may include participating in or presenting at in-service training programs on child sexual abuse and child sexual assault awareness and prevention. The bill also requires school boards to provide, unless a pupil’s parent or guardian has requested the pupil be excused from such instruction, age-appropriate and research-based instruction in child sexual abuse and child sexual assault awareness and prevention as part of the human growth and development instruction in kindergarten through grade 12, and in prekindergarten if a school district offers a prekindergarten program. A school board may collaborate with nonprofit organizations with expertise in child sexual abuse and sexual assault awareness and prevention and may rely on available internet-based programs to meet the requirements. Currently, the director of the department of education has a duty to develop and make available to school districts examples of age-appropriate and research-based materials. The bill specifies that the age-appropriate and research-based materials and resources shall also cover child sexual abuse and child sexual assault awareness and prevention. The director shall provide a resource list to school districts of organizations which provide free or low-cost research-based child sexual abuse and child sexual assault awareness and prevention programs.3.16.2. The inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state mandates included in the bill.