Assembly Bill A538

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    538
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  PAULIN,  HEVESI, CUNNINGHAM -- read once and
   referred to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation  to  the  creation  of  a
   school-based teen dating violence prevention program

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 63 to read as follows:
   63. SCHOOL-BASED TEEN  DATING  VIOLENCE  PREVENTION  PROGRAM.  A.  THE
 COMMISSIONER  SHALL  CONSULT  AND  COLLABORATE  WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF
 HEALTH, THE OFFICE FOR THE PREVENTION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ORGANIZA-
 TIONS THAT PROMOTE TEEN DATING VIOLENCE AWARENESS, PREVENTION AND EDUCA-
 TION, AS WELL AS OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES, TO ESTABLISH  AND  DEVELOP  A
 SCHOOL-BASED  TEEN DATING VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM WITHIN THE DEPART-
 MENT. SUCH PROGRAM SHALL BE DEFINED BY THE COMMISSIONER  IN  REGULATIONS
 AFTER  CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THE OFFICE FOR THE
 PREVENTION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND BE  DESIGNED  TO  EDUCATE  STUDENTS,
 PARENTS  AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL ABOUT HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP BEHAVIORS, TEEN
 DATING VIOLENCE AWARENESS  AND  PREVENTION.  THE  TEEN  DATING  VIOLENCE
 AWARENESS PREVENTION PROGRAM SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   (I)  AGE-APPROPRIATE  MODEL CURRICULUM, EXEMPLAR LESSON PLANS AND BEST
 PRACTICE  INSTRUCTIONAL  RESOURCES  FOR  STUDENTS,  PARENTS  AND  SCHOOL
 PERSONNEL   DEVELOPED  OR  APPROVED  TO  PROMOTE  AWARENESS  OF  HEALTHY
 RELATIONSHIP BEHAVIORS AND TEEN DATING VIOLENCE PREVENTION.  SUCH  MODEL
 CURRICULUM,  LESSON  PLANS AND INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES SHALL INCLUDE BUT
 NOT BE LIMITED TO INFORMATION ON HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP BEHAVIORS AND TEEN
 DATING VIOLENCE, RECOGNIZING THE WARNING SIGNS OF TEEN DATING  VIOLENCE,
 AND  A  DISCUSSION  OF  LOCAL  COMMUNITY RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO
 TEENS IN AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02038-01-5
              

 A. 538                              2
 
   (II) INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS  AND  MATERIALS  FOR  STUDENTS,  PARENTS  AND
 SCHOOL PERSONNEL DEVELOPED OR APPROVED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMIS-
 SIONER OF HEALTH AND THE OFFICE FOR THE PREVENTION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE,
 WHICH SHALL INCLUDE UPDATED DATA AND INFORMATION ON HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP
 BEHAVIORS  AND  TEEN  DATING  VIOLENCE  AWARENESS AND PREVENTION, WITH A
 REVIEW OF SUCH DATA AND INFORMATION TO OCCUR PERIODICALLY, AT  INTERVALS
 DEEMED  APPROPRIATE  BY THE COMMISSIONER, THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH AND
 THE OFFICE FOR PREVENTION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE; AND
   (III) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF ALL MATERIALS RELATED TO THE TEEN  DATING
 VIOLENCE  AWARENESS  PREVENTION  PROGRAM  ON  A DEDICATED WEBPAGE ON THE
 DEPARTMENT'S INTERNET WEBSITE, AND ALL MATERIALS SHALL BE PROVIDED AT NO
 COST  TO  EVERY  SCHOOL  DISTRICT,  BOARD  OF  COOPERATIVE   EDUCATIONAL
 SERVICES, CHARTER SCHOOL AND NONPUBLIC SCHOOL UPON REQUEST.
   B.  THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ISSUE A GUIDANCE MEMORANDUM TO EVERY SCHOOL
 DISTRICT, BOARD OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, CHARTER SCHOOL  AND
 NONPUBLIC  SCHOOL, TO INFORM THEM OF THE AVAILABILITY OF THE TEEN DATING
 VIOLENCE AWARENESS PREVENTION PROGRAM AND TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO WORK  AND
 COLLABORATE  WITH  LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROMOTE TEEN DATING VIOLENCE
 AWARENESS, PREVENTION AND EDUCATION AND TO DEVELOP POLICIES  AND  PROCE-
 DURES  ON  RESPONDING  TO  INCIDENTS OF TEEN DATING VIOLENCE AND HEALTHY
 RELATIONSHIP INITIATIVES.  THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ANNUALLY REMIND SCHOOL
 DISTRICTS, BOARDS OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES,  CHARTER  SCHOOLS
 AND  NONPUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  OF  THE  AVAILABILITY  OF TEEN DATING VIOLENCE
 AWARENESS AND PREVENTION MATERIALS  AS  PART  OF  TEEN  DATING  VIOLENCE
 AWARENESS AND PREVENTION MONTH.
   §  2.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule  or  regulation  necessary
 for  the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.