AB377: Bill Text

FFK:ahe

2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE

2019 Assembly BILL 377

August 28, 2019 - Introduced by Representatives Spiros, Sargent, Anderson, Bowen, Cabrera, Crowley, Doyle, Milroy, Mursau, Ohnstad, Quinn, Sinicki, Skowronski, Spreitzer, Subeck, C. Taylor, Tusler, Vining and Zimmerman, cosponsored by Senators Petrowski, Carpenter, Larson, Risser and Schachtner. Referred to Committee on Children and Families.

AB377,1,2 An Act to create 115.28 (44), 118.018 and 121.02 (1) (L) 1m. of the statutes; relating to: requiring sexual abuse prevention education.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires the Department of Public Instruction to develop, by July 1, 2020, a child sexual abuse prevention policy and instructional program to be provided to pupils in grades kindergarten to six. DPI must include in the program an age-appropriate curriculum to provide pupils with the knowledge and tools to escape from a sexual abuse situation and communicate incidents of sexual abuse. Under the bill, beginning in the 2021-22 school year, each school board must provide a child sexual abuse prevention instructional program to pupils in grades kindergarten to six. Each school board must adopt and administer either DPI's program or its own child sexual abuse prevention instructional program.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB377,1 Section 1 . 115.28 (44) of the statutes is created to read:

AB377,2,4 115.28 (44) Child sexual abuse prevention education; model policy. (a) By July 1, 2020, prepare, adopt, and make available to each school district a policy governing child sexual abuse prevention and develop an instructional program appropriate for pupils in kindergarten to grade 6. The state superintendent shall incorporate the instructional program into its model health problems education curriculum.

AB377,2,7 (b) Develop, in consultation with the department of children and families, a parental involvement component to be incorporated into the child sexual abuse prevention instructional program.

AB377,2 Section 2 . 118.018 of the statutes is created to read:

AB377,2,14 118.018 Sexual abuse prevention education. (1) Beginning in the 2021-22 school year, each school board shall provide a child sexual abuse prevention instructional program to pupils in kindergarten to grade 6. The school board shall either adopt and administer the policy and instructional program under s. 115.28 (44), or develop and administer its own child sexual abuse prevention instructional program.

AB377,2,16 (2) The school board shall include all of the following in the instructional program under sub. (1):

AB377,2,18 (a) Developmentally appropriate, culturally sensitive, and evidence-based instruction for each grade level.

AB377,2,20 (b) Age-appropriate curriculum that includes role-playing, discussion, activities, and books to educate students regarding child sexual abuse prevention.

AB377,2,22 (c) Instruction providing students with the knowledge and tools to communicate incidents of sexual abuse.

AB377,2,24 (d) Instruction on how to distinguish between a safe touch and an unsafe touch and between safe secrets and unsafe secrets.

AB377,2,25 (e) Instruction on how to escape from and report a sexual abuse situation.

AB377,3,2 (f) Techniques to recognize child sexual abuse, skills to reduce vulnerability, and encouragement to report child sexual abuse.

AB377,3,6 (3) As part of the instructional program, the school board shall provide parents with information about child sexual abuse topics, including how to identify characteristics and behaviors of offenders, warning signs of child sexual abuse, and how to discuss child sexual abuse prevention with children.

AB377,3 Section 3 . 121.02 (1) (L) 1m. of the statutes is created to read:

AB377,3,11 121.02 (1) (L) 1m. Beginning in the 2021-22 school year, annually provide a child sexual abuse prevention instructional program for pupils in kindergarten to grade 6. The school board shall provide a sequential instructional program and shall provide at least one instructional session in each grade.

AB377,3,12 (End)