WEST virginia legislature

2017 regular session

Introduced

House Bill 2974

By Delegates Lovejoy, Rohrbach, Hornbuckle, Canestraro, Williams, Lane, Fleischauer and Robinson

[Introduced March 13, 2017; Referred
to the Committee on Education.]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §18-2-41, relating to public school education in dating violence, domestic abuse and sexual violence prevention.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §18-2-41, to read as follows:

ARTICLE 2. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

§18-2-41. Programs to prevent dating violence, domestic abuse, and sexual violence.

(a) The state board shall establish a comprehensive approach to integrate age-appropriate components of effective and evidence-based programs on the prevention of dating violence, domestic abuse and sexual violence and the laws and regulations pertaining thereto into their existing programs.

(b) The state board shall require all public schools that operate from grade six to grade twelve to develop and integrate components of effective and evidence-based programs on the prevention of dating violence, domestic abuse and sexual violence and the laws and regulations pertaining thereto into their curricula.

(c) Programs to prevent dating violence, domestic abuse and sexual violence shall be integrated into the applicable public school curriculum by July 1, 2018.

(d) The state board shall assist county boards in developing in-service training regarding effective and evidence-based programs on the prevention of dating violence, domestic abuse and sexual violence and the laws and regulations pertaining thereto as provided in this section.

NOTE: This purpose of this bill is to ensure that public schools integrate age-appropriate components of effective and evidence-based programs on the prevention of dating violence, domestic abuse and sexual violence into their existing programs and curricula.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.