Section 51938 Of Article 4. Notice And Parental Excuse From California Education Code >> Division 4. >> Title 2. >> Part 28. >> Chapter 5.6. >> Article 4.
51938
. (a) A parent or guardian of a pupil has the right to excuse
their child from all or part of comprehensive sexual health
education, HIV prevention education, and assessments related to that
education through a passive consent ("opt-out") process. A school
district shall not require active parental consent ("opt-in") for
comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education.
(b) At the beginning of each school year, or, for a pupil who
enrolls in a school after the beginning of the school year, at the
time of that pupil's enrollment, each school district shall notify
the parent or guardian of each pupil about instruction in
comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education
and research on pupil health behaviors and risks planned for the
coming year. The notice shall do all of the following:
(1) Advise the parent or guardian that written and audiovisual
educational materials used in comprehensive sexual health education
and HIV prevention education are available for inspection.
(2) Advise the parent or guardian whether the comprehensive sexual
health education or HIV prevention education will be taught by
school district personnel or by outside consultants. A school
district may provide comprehensive sexual health education or HIV
prevention education, to be taught by outside consultants, and may
hold an assembly to deliver comprehensive sexual health education or
HIV prevention education by guest speakers, but if it elects to
provide comprehensive sexual health education or HIV prevention
education in either of these manners, the notice shall include the
date of the instruction, the name of the organization or affiliation
of each guest speaker, and information stating the right of the
parent or guardian to request a copy of this section, Section 51933,
and Section 51934. If arrangements for this instruction are made
after the beginning of the school year, notice shall be made by mail
or another commonly used method of notification, no fewer than 14
days before the instruction is delivered.
(3) Include information explaining the parent's or guardian's
right to request a copy of this chapter.
(4) Advise the parent or guardian that the parent or guardian has
the right to excuse their child from comprehensive sexual health
education and HIV prevention education and that in order to excuse
their child they must state their request in writing to the school
district.
(c) Notwithstanding Section 51513, anonymous, voluntary, and
confidential research and evaluation tools to measure pupils' health
behaviors and risks, including tests, questionnaires, and surveys
containing age-appropriate questions about the pupil's attitudes
concerning or practices relating to sex, may be administered to any
pupil in grades 7 to 12, inclusive. A parent or guardian has the
right to excuse their child from the test, questionnaire, or survey
through a passive consent ("opt-out") process. A school district
shall not require active parental consent ("opt-in") for these tests,
questionnaires, or surveys in grades 7 to 12, inclusive. Parents or
guardians shall be notified in writing that this test, questionnaire,
or survey is to be administered, given the opportunity to review the
test, questionnaire, or survey if they wish, notified of their right
to excuse their child from the test, questionnaire, or survey, and
informed that in order to excuse their child they must state their
request in writing to the school district.
(d) The use of outside consultants or guest speakers as described
in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) is within the discretion of the
school district.