HBA-MPM H.B. 2797 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2797
By: Delisi
Public Education
4/20/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, one out of 13 teenaged girls in Texas gets pregnant each year,
with nearly seven percent of all births in Texas to mothers younger than 18
years of age.  According to the Texas Department of Health, 26.1 percent of
all Medicaid births were to teenaged mothers, with the total cost of these
deliveries totaling $129 million.  Additionally the most recent Youth Risk
Behavior Surveillance System survey conducted by the Centers for Disease
Control found that 46 percent of high school seniors are currently sexually
active.  A survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 1998 found
that nearly four million teens contract an STD each year.  H.B. 2797
provides that abstinence education or any human sexuality course materials
or instruction related to abstinence from sexual activity must include
certain tenets with respect to this topic. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 28.004, Education Code, by adding Subsection
(j), as follows: 

(j)  Provides that in addition to other provisions of this section
(relating to abstinence education in public schools), any human sexuality
course materials or instruction related to abstinence from sexual activity
must include certain instruction with respect to this topic. 

SECTION 2.  Makes this Act applicable beginning with the 1999-2000 school
year. 

SECTION 3.Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.