SB140 Alabama 2019 Session

Updated Feb 24, 2026

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Tom Whatley
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2019
Title: Sex education, public K-12 school, content and course materials revised, Sec. 16-40A-2 am'd.
Summary: SB 140 would change public K-12 sex education content to emphasize abstinence and require specific topics in the curriculum.
What This Bill Does
If enacted, the bill would require sex education programs to emphasize abstinence as the most reliable protection and set abortion standard for unmarried minors. It would mandate that materials be age-appropriate, medically accurate, and culturally appropriate, and include a defined list of topics such as self-control, contraception information, financial responsibilities of pregnancy, reporting abuse, resisting peer pressure, and parenting duties. It also includes a controversial provision stating that homosexuality is not considered acceptable by the general public and that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense under state law. The law would take effect on the first day of the third month after governor approval.

Who It Affects
Public K-12 students in Alabama who participate in sex education programs, who would receive updated content and framing.
Teachers, school districts, and curriculum developers responsible for implementing sex education programs, who must use materials that meet the new requirements.

Key Provisions
Revises Section 16-40A-2 to require sex education programs to emphasize abstinence from sexual intercourse as the only completely reliable protection against pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, and to set abstinence from sex outside lawful marriage as the expected standard for unmarried minors.
Requires course materials to be age-appropriate, medically accurate, and culturally appropriate.
Adds required content including: abstinence emphasis, self-control and delaying sexual activity, statistics on contraception effectiveness, and information on legal financial responsibilities of pregnancy and child rearing.
Includes information on laws prohibiting sexual abuse, reporting requirements, and options for victims.
Includes information on coping with unwanted exploitation and resisting peer pressure, and an explicit public health perspective that homosexuality is not acceptable to the general public and that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense under state law.
Adds comprehensive instruction in parenting skills and responsibilities, including child support obligations, penalties for non-payment, and legal/ethical responsibilities of child care.
Effective date: the act takes effect on the first day of the third month following its passage and Governor approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Education