HB385 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Laura HallRepresentative

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

Education, public K-12 schools, sex education, revising the focus of content, course materials and instructions provided, Sec. 16-40A-2 am'd.

Summary

HB385 revises Alabama's public K-12 sex education to emphasize abstinence, set content expectations, require parental notification, and list specific instructional topics.

What This Bill Does

It requires that any sex education in public schools emphasize abstinence as the only completely reliable way to avoid unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. It also requires age-appropriate and medically accurate materials and, if available, a defined list of topics to cover, including self-control, legal responsibilities related to pregnancy, abuse reporting, resisting peer pressure, and parenting skills. It additionally requires advance written notice to parents and access to the curriculum, and it becomes law the first day of the third month after Governor approval.

Who It Affects

• Public K-12 students in Alabama, who will receive sex education that emphasizes abstinence and covers the specified topics.
• Parents or guardians of those students, who must receive advance written notice and have access to the curriculum before it is taught.

Key Provisions

• Abstinence-centered education: abstinence from sexual intercourse is described as the only completely reliable protection against unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.
• Age-appropriate and medically accurate materials: course content related to sexual health or STDs must be age-appropriate and medically accurate.
• Specified content elements: topics include self-control, legal and financial aspects of pregnancy and childrearing, reporting sexual abuse, resisting unwanted exploitation and peer pressure, and parenting skills (including child support responsibilities and penalties). It also states that homosexuality is not considered acceptable by the general public and that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense under state law.
• Parental notification and access: parents must be given advance written notice and have access to the curriculum upon request before it is distributed to students.
• Effective date: the act becomes law on the first day of the third month after passage and gubernatorial approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Education