Relates to the creation of a school-based teen dating violence prevention program designed to be incorporated into a school district's existing health curriculum to prevent and reduce the incidence and prevalence of teen dating violence.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1157
SPONSOR: Paulin TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to the creation of a
school-based teen dating violence prevention program
PURPOSE:
To promote education of students regarding teen dating violence.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends the public health law by adding a new section 56 to
require the commissioner of education, in cooperation with the commis-
sioner of health, the office for the prevention of domestic violence and
organizations that promote teen dating violence awareness and healthy
relationship behaviors to establish a school-based teen dating violence
prevention program that shall include(i) age-appropriate curriculum,
lesson plans and best practices for students, parents and school person-
nel to promote teen dating violence prevention and healthy relationship
behaviors; (ii) instructional tools for students, parents and school
personnel on healthy relationship behaviors and teen dating violence
awareness and prevention; (iii) materials related to teen dating
violence prevention and education provided at no cost to every school
entity that are also made publicly available on The department's
webpage. Outlines that the commissioner shall issue a guidance memoran-
dum to schools and inform them about the prevention and education
program. The commissioner should urge schools to work with local organ-
izations to develop policies and procedures on responding to incidents
of teen dating violence and healthy relationship initiatives.
Section two sets the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
The prevalence of teen dating violence, particularly in schools, has
lasting effects. According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), 10 percent of high school students report physical
violence and 11 percent report experiencing sexual violence from a
dating partner in the past year. The CDC and other U.S. government agen-
cies recommend education and prevention programs in schools to reduce
dating violence and to foster healthy relationships.
As New York State's programming and training leader for preventing
domestic violence and providing services to victims, the New York Coali-
tion Against Domestic Violence (NYSCADV) has done extensive work in this
area. It has developed a curriculum on teen dating violence prevention
and healthy relationships, which could serve as a model for this
program.
The most effective programs are community-based, with collaboration
between the school and local organizations that promote teen dating
violence awareness. Several schools have successfully worked with local
domestic violence organizations to implement teen dating violence
prevention programs, and such collaboration should be encouraged state-
wide. As the statewide membership organization of local direct service
domestic violence programs, NYSCADV can facilitate connections between
schools and local organizations to develop policies and procedures to
best respond to incidents of teen dating violence and to foster healthy
relationship behaviors among our school-age children across the state.
Teen dating violence is a serious public health concern, and our efforts
to address this issue must focus on prevention, specifically through
education in schools. Several states have passed legislation to include
teen dating violence education in the health curriculum of public
schools, including Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio. By
requiring the NYS Department of Education to establish a school-based
teen dating violence prevention program, we will be better able to help
our children and youth recognize inappropriate and harmful behaviors,
prevent violence in dating relationships and improve the health, safety
and wellbeing of our children.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A.I209 in 2021 and 2022, referred to education / S.757 referred to
education.
A.355 in 2019 and 2020, referred to education / S.3453 referred to
education.
A.5354A in 2017 and 2018, referred to education. / Same as S.4528A in
2017 and 2018, committed to education.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the State.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1157
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 13, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- 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:
1 Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
2 subdivision 57 to read as follows:
3 57. School-based teen dating violence prevention program. a. The
4 commissioner shall consult and collaborate with the commissioner of
5 health, the office for the prevention of domestic violence and organiza-
6 tions that promote teen dating violence awareness, prevention and educa-
7 tion, as well as other interested parties, to establish and develop a
8 school-based teen dating violence prevention program within the depart-
9 ment. Such program shall be defined by the commissioner in regulations
10 after consultation with the department of health and the office for the
11 prevention of domestic violence and be designed to educate students,
12 parents and school personnel about healthy relationship behaviors, teen
13 dating violence awareness and prevention. The teen dating violence
14 awareness prevention program shall include but not be limited to:
15 (i) age-appropriate model curriculum, exemplar lesson plans and best
16 practice instructional resources for students, parents and school
17 personnel developed or approved to promote awareness of healthy
18 relationship behaviors and teen dating violence prevention. Such model
19 curriculum, lesson plans and instructional resources shall include but
20 not be limited to information on healthy relationship behaviors and teen
21 dating violence, recognizing the warning signs of teen dating violence,
22 and a discussion of local community resources that are available to
23 teens in an abusive relationship;
24 (ii) instructional tools and materials for students, parents and
25 school personnel developed or approved in collaboration with the commis-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02143-01-3
A. 1157 2
1 sioner of health and the office for the prevention of domestic violence,
2 which shall include updated data and information on healthy relationship
3 behaviors and teen dating violence awareness and prevention, with a
4 review of such data and information to occur periodically, at intervals
5 deemed appropriate by the commissioner, the commissioner of health and
6 the office for prevention of domestic violence; and
7 (iii) public availability of all materials related to the teen dating
8 violence awareness prevention program on a dedicated webpage on the
9 department's internet website, and all materials shall be provided at no
10 cost to every school district, board of cooperative educational
11 services, charter school and nonpublic school upon request.
12 b. The commissioner shall issue a guidance memorandum to every school
13 district, board of cooperative educational services, charter school and
14 nonpublic school, to inform them of the availability of the teen dating
15 violence awareness prevention program and to encourage them to work and
16 collaborate with local organizations that promote teen dating violence
17 awareness, prevention and education and to develop policies and proce-
18 dures on responding to incidents of teen dating violence and healthy
19 relationship initiatives. The commissioner shall annually remind school
20 districts, boards of cooperative educational services, charter schools
21 and nonpublic schools, of the availability of teen dating violence
22 awareness and prevention materials as part of teen dating violence
23 awareness and prevention month.
24 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
25 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
26 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
27 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
28 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
