State Profiles

Texas’ Sex Education Snapshot

The State of Sex Education

Advocates in Texas have diligently worked against efforts to limit sex education across the state and are gearing up for a historic opportunity to advance comprehensive sex education for young people. In 2020, the Texas State Board of Education revised the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Health Education for the first time in over two decades. The Texas Freedom Network, with support from SIECUS, led the #TeachTheTruth campaign to ensure the School Board of Education took steps to advance curriculum in Texas. While efforts to repeal the state’s discriminatory teaching requirements on sexual orientation and gender identity or include instruction on consent were ultimately unsuccessful, schools are now required to provide instruction on birth control methods to students in seventh and eighth grade.

Right now, advocates are working on advancing the adoption of updated instructional materials following the updated requirements. Several advocates plan on working with statewide partners to support school districts in adopting the new requirements in addition to adopting advanced, more comprehensive, sex education.  In light of the unsuccessful effort to include instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity within the new sex education requirements, several bills (House Bill 1038, Senate Bill 261, House Bill 1037, Senate Bill 129) were introduced during the 2021 legislative session, but were ultimately unsuccessful. House Bill 1525, introduced by Representative Dan Huberty and enacted on June 16, 2021, reduces access to sex education by including a provision that requires schools to receive parental consent prior to their children receiving sex education. This is referred to as an “opt-in” policy.

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the ability of young people to receive sex education was severely reduced. Some districts, including ones that were advancing their sex education curriculum, have reported halting all sex education programming due to hesitations in teaching it in a virtual setting. However, advocates report some success in advancing digital advocacy efforts.

While opponents of comprehensive sex education are in the minority in Texas, their voices are often the loudest and are being carefully considered by advocates. One opponent, Texas Values, is an organization that opposes advancements in access to abortion care, LGBTQ rights, and comprehensive sex education, and has historically mobilized opposition to advocate for restrictive policies when sex education curriculum is under review by the state and Independent School Districts (ISDs). Such opposition is fueled by federal abstinence-only funding and Texas receives the highest amount of abstinence-only funding in the country.

Since Texas schools are not required to provide sex education to students, school districts are left to decide what type of sex education–if any at all–they provide to youth. Local control over sex education presents unique challenges that have resulted in a glaring disparity regarding the quality of sex education that students receive. Such discretion allows for the implementation of policies and curriculum that stigmatize marginalized youth, such as students of color and LGBTQ youth, and presents further challenges in ensuring that low income districts have access to the resources needed to implement comprehensive sex education. Students of color make up the majority of Texas public school enrollment, and these young people need sex education curriculum that is trauma informed and culturally responsive to the structural barriers to reproductive health care and education that young people of color often face. For example, the Trump administration’s continuous attack on immigrant communities has caused many undocumented immigrants to avoid seeking medical care out of fear of deportation. The  closure of 82 family planning clinics in Texas between 2011 and 2016 has also directly impacted the ability of low-income families and individuals to access health care services.

In addition to inaccessible health services, a lack of reliable sex education curriculum further distances youth from comprehensive sexual health care and knowledge. A 2017 report by the Texas Freedom Network found that 58.3 percent of school districts took an abstinence-only approach to sex education, 16.6 percent taught abstinence-plus curriculum, and 25 percent taught no sex education at all. Advocates report that current sex education curriculum often includes discriminatory and false information about LGBTQ people and medically inaccurate information about abortion. Some textbooks have even been reported to omit condom usage as a strategy to avoid STIs and list condom use as a high risk behavior, while using shame and fear based tactics to emphasize the value of abstinence.

With the newly revised Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Health Education, advocates in Texas are working to promote comprehensive sex education in the state. This includes progress towards ensuring young people receive bias-free, medically accurate, inclusive instruction that allows them to make informed decisions about their health and future. Advocates in Texas hope the updates will translate to improved sexual health outcomes in the state. Some districts in Texas have taken initiative to advance sex education in their communities. In October of 2019, the Austin Independent School District unanimously voted to approve comprehensive sex education curriculum for students in grades 3-8. The vote followed a three-hour school board meeting in which about 100 community members voiced their opinion on the new comprehensive measure.

Right now, advocates can take steps to improve sex education in their community. After contacting their ISDs to determine what sex education, if any at all, is currently being taught, advocates can vocalize the need for improved curriculum and develop local support for advancing sex education requirements. Advocates can focus on ensuring curriculum is medically accurate and culturally responsive to the needs of youth of color and LGBTQ youth, or ensure topics such as consent, healthy relationships, contraceptive options, and reproductive health care are included in sex education curriculum. Advocates can also work to make sure the updated TEKS standards translate to improved health outcomes in the state. Advocates are encouraged to take action on pending legislation that seeks to advance or restrict the principles of comprehensive sex education. For a current overview of pending legislation, see table below. Additionally, reach out to EducateUS to get connected to local advocacy groups. Advocates are encouraged to use the SIECUS Community Action Toolkit to guide local efforts to advance sex education.

State Sex Education Policies and Requirements at a Glance

  • Texas schools are not required to teach sex education. They are, however, required to teach health education.
    • If a school chooses to teach sex education, curriculum must emphasize abstinence.
    • Health education is an optional elective course in high school
  • As a part of health education, they must adhere to the standards within the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Health Education. This requires some instruction in anatomy, contraception, and STI prevention while emphasizing abstinence, otherwise known as a  “abstinence-plus” curriculum
  • If a school chooses to teach sex education and uses curriculum developed by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), it must state that homosexuality is not an acceptable lifestyle to the general public and that it is a criminal offense under the Texas Penal Code. The United States Supreme Court handed down a decision in Lawrence v. Texas that declared state laws criminalizing homosexual behavior to be unconstitutional in 2003.
  • Curriculum is not required to include instruction on consent.
  • Parents or guardians are required to provide their written consent prior to their children receiving sex education. This is referred to as an “opt-in” policy.
  • Texas has no standard regarding medically accurate sex education instruction.

State House Highlights

This section highlights sex education bills that were introduced during the 2021 state legislative session as well as bills that have been introduced thus far in 2022. These proposed bills ​provide a brief overview of both recent and current legislative action taken to advance or restrict sex education. For a more comprehensive look at relevant legislation concerning sex education and related topics such as reproductive health care, LGBTQ rights, racial equity and justice, parental rights, bullying and harassment, mental health, assault and violence prevention, and HIV/STIs as it impacts youth, continue reading on to the “State Legislative Activity” section of Texas’ profile.

2022 Legislative Session

No bills have been introduced concerning sex education to date.

2021 Legislative Session 

House Bill 1037 (failed): Sought to replace gender-specific language relating to the rights and duties of spouses. Repeals section 21.06 of the Penal Code, which states that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense. Removes the requirement to teach that “homosexual conduct” is not an acceptable lifestyle and a criminal offense within sex education. An identical, companion bill was introduced in the Senate.

House Bill 1038 (failed): Sought to repeal section 21.06 of the Penal Code, which states that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense. Removes the requirement to teach that “homosexual conduct” is not an acceptable lifestyle and a criminal offense within sex education.

House Bill 1525 (enacted): Requires schools to receive parental consent prior to their children receiving sex education.

House Bill 2679 (failed): Sought to require schools to teach sex education that is medically accurate, age appropriate, include affirming information about gender identity and sexual orientation, cover human sexuality, pregnancy, and STIs, discuss human sexuality as a normal and healthy aspect of human development, include instruction on consent education, contraceptive methods, healthy relationships, and emphasize the importance of abstinence. Further, districts must adopt policies concerning the distribution of condoms and menstrual products. Parental notice regarding sex education instruction must be provided prior to the beginning of the school year.

House Bill 3058 (failed): Sought to require schools to teach one credit of health education.

House Bill 3872 (failed): Sought to define additional requirements of each local school health advisory committee, including adopting a resolution convening the local school health advisory council for the purpose of making recommendations regarding the curriculum or curriculum materials. The Commissioner must adopt rules requiring school districts to use a process to adopting curriculum materials for sex education.

House Bill 4425 (failed): Sought to repeal the requirement to teach that homosexuality is an unacceptable lifestyle or a criminal offence within sex education instruction.

House Bill 4088 (failed): Sought to require schools to provide medically accurate and age-appropriate sex education. Curriculum must include instruction on human sexuality as a normal and healthy aspect of human development, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections. Curriculum must provide instruction on contraceptives and healthy relationships.

Senate Bill 9 (pending): Aims to require schools to provide instruction on child abuse, family violence, and dating violence.

Senate Bill 129 (failed): Sought to replace gender specific language relating to the rights and duties of spouses. Repeals section 21.06 of the Penal Code, which states that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense. Removes the requirement to teach that “homosexual conduct” is not an acceptable lifestyle and a criminal offense within sex education.

More on sex ed in Texas…


State Law

Neither sex education nor education on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are statutorily mandated in Texas. However, Texas Education Code §7.102(c)(11) requires the State Board of Education to “adopt rules to carry out the curriculum required or authorized under §28.002,” which includes “health.” This means all school districts must adhere to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Health Education standards. Accordingly, Texas Education Code §§ 28.004, Texas State Board of Education Administrative Code §§ 115.22, 115.23, 115.32, and 115.33 require that all “course materials and instruction relating to human sexuality” must:

  1. Present abstinence from sexual activity as the preferred choice of behavior in relationship to all sexual activity for unmarried persons of school age;
  2. Devote more attention to abstinence from sexual activity than to any other behavior;
  3. Emphasize that abstinence from sexual activity, if used consistently and correctly, is the only method that is 100% effective in preventing pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), infection with HIV or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and the emotional trauma associated with adolescent sexual activity;
  4. Direct adolescents to a standard of behavior in which abstinence from sexual activity before marriage is the most effective way to prevent pregnancy, STDs, and infection with HIV or AIDS; and
  5. Teach contraception and condom use in terms of human-use reality rates instead of theoretical laboratory rates, if instruction on contraception and condoms is included in curriculum content.

School districts may not distribute condoms and are allowed to “separate students according to sex for instructional purposes.” Each school district must also have a local health advisory council established by the school district’s board of trustees. The council must make recommendations to the school district about changes in that district’s curriculum and “appropriate grade levels and methods of instruction for human sexuality instruction.”[v] This council also must “assist the district in ensuring that local community values are reflected in the district’s health education instruction.”

Texas Health and Safety Code §85.007 and §163.002  state that course materials and instruction must “state that homosexual conduct is not an acceptable lifestyle to the general public and is a criminal offence under Section 21.06, Penal Code” a common “no promotion of homosexuality” style law. This ruling applies if the curriculum is developed by the DSHS. The United States Supreme Court handed down a decision in Lawrence v. Texas that declared state laws criminalizing homosexual behavior to be unconstitutional in 2003, invalidating Section 21.06 despite it remaining in Texas Code.

Parents or guardians may remove their children from any part of sex education instruction if it conflicts with their “religious or moral beliefs” by submitting a written request to the teacher. This is referred to as an “opt-out” policy. 

State Standards

The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Health Education includes standards for what the health curriculum should look like if provided. These standards include teaching students to “analyze the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of barrier protection and other contraceptive methods,” “analyze the importance of abstinence from sexual activity,” “summarize the facts related to HIV infection and [STDs],” and to understand “the emotional trauma associated with adolescent sexual activity.”

In 2020, the Texas Board of Education revised these standards to include instruction on anatomy, contraception, condoms, and STI prevention in middle and high school. It also added standards on healthy relationships and the importance of physical boundaries.

State Legislative Activity

State legislative activity related to sex education does not take place in isolation from the broader embroiled political and policy climate. Attacks on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (LGBTQ) individuals, attempts to restrict or prohibit instruction on “divisive concepts” such as Critical Race Theory, and efforts to limit access to abortion care and other reproductive healthcare services prevent students from receiving comprehensive sex education and accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare services. Below are highlights of current legislative activity related to these topics. Texas legislative sessions occur every other year.

TitleDescriptionStatusLegislative Topic
House Bill 28Requires schools to publish monthly reports of curriculum. Prohibits teaching divisive concepts.Left Pending in the House Committee on Public Education (2021)Reproductive Health Carehttps://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/bb612de29b011e90a13cc7371a9f6d8f3487c49724cf2f2c8fd0ebca16e4eadb94eb4aaef900182b1f357129dd042c1d
House Bill 6 Prohibits the delivery of medication abortion through telehealth. Died to the House Committee on Public Health (2021)Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/566de55f2c5c4247fc3e851e0ed3980d31c625039b42a8bd2199a78c6496b8978c3b33055500bbf6dff688d7ab8470e6
House Bill 23Asserts fetal personhood, prohibiting abortion. Died in the House (2021)Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/d330a53c3f08b522af0be34c0ead5c8e3555bf639595acc47935fd121d0c0a3e6c26dfed19c4c62321595391c73aeefb
House Bill 38Classifies providing minors with gender affirming medical care as child abuse. Died in the House (2021)Sexual Orientation and Gender Identityhttps://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/b76627f799f01468008c521a77c7d9cfc08439008952facc26f09be9a558ad0aa00eb22e8d3104e2e717327ead5afbf1
House Bill 101Prohibits abortion. Died in the House (2021)Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/bb612de29b011e90a13cc7371a9f6d8f3487c49724cf2f2c8fd0ebca16e4eadb94eb4aaef900182b1f357129dd042c1d
House Bill 103Prohibits abortion. Died in the House (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/46cd9b14b9e8ecf8e96e52298b161e54a9033bd8f6a7203d3d51e0022ffa9546cd64e7e08ff8e70f481098d9043679ce
House Bill 181Classifies gender affirming medical care as child abuse. Died in the House (2021) Sexual Orientation and Gender Identityhttps://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/a5df0f81b42dff903c549b1805b3c99882c91e5a655743c6ed885a6ec7c1b0c6ba2cbbfcd0651842c8fcf6e9610c3bea
House Bill 259Establishes the Subcommittee on Maternal Health Disparities to study maternal mortality rates and provide recommendations on improving maternal health outcomes. Also establishes the Subcommittee on Maternal Health Disparities for Black Women to study maternal mortality rates for Black women and any related disparities and provide recommendations to improve maternal health outcomes for Black women. Died in the House (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/0eefd34de292c75bedf03ce0a59c48dda90021422df271cb18c65e2486b8cb80a42cfc1fb327e3d91dee3a3d7641a54d
Senate Bill 4Prohibits the delivery of medication abortion. Establishes additional reporting requirements. Signed in the Senate (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/6ab591326a9038afca7e0e91c7763c4d0719dbf33ffa86c3e123c11260ac8f5da2bf25213fc51405aa5990a6f7b70d47
Senate Bill 9Requires schools to provide instruction on child abuse, family violence, and dating violence. Died in the Senate Committee on Jurisprudence (2021)Sex Education https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/fa9d4c0b7371918b138e12ed95fa3dd04c6049f81edc6c6bae1d4c9157ebdd2ab95116c4ad0f51d0541ef31ba12f0a51
Senate Bill 23Prohibits medical providers from providing gender affirming care to minors. Died in the Senate (2021)Sexual Orientation and Gender Identityhttps://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/d831325b97acd834a5b96645ef9c194c7cb2158814105280c70431c4aeb5bdcf0d6c262b0081f2cf8c13c7a1a856dc9a
Senate Bill 39Classifies providing minors with gender affirming medical care as child abuse. Died in the Senate (2021)Sexual Orientation and Gender Identityhttps://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/fb5be5d6daa4c60fdbf9b5141a5d4fc917bd91b1bee3a5b809ebfe4803c63d3da2e3fff1c5691fb588243f5f4917a7d8
Senate Bill 66Prohibits bans on conversion therapy and prohibits gender affirming therapy. Died in the Senate (2021)Sexual Orientation and Gender Identityhttps://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/48560f2a671e2dec491b7a1524b978a86b14ef234a6914aad7427ea3fcb521ec483401190bf4236caa6cc0965b2c34e9
Senate Bill 70Classifies gender affirming medical care as child abuse. Died in the Senate (2021)Sexual Orientation and Gender Identityhttps://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/622d2cfd01934067aaab6f504705a64abb4feb9ff0159b4170bd292140988f322a2c20efe13cd362e92805977a552345
House Bill 68Prohibits health care professionals from providing gender affirming medical care for minors. Died in the House Committee on Public Health (2021) Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/ecd2f18ae1abf6b60bc3debd04fb46497b8641f29a1c894b92ce046d69d992e4cd2c0e72a1b0fe349ce1de68bf2fad75
House Bill 69 Prohibits abortion after 12 weeks post-fertilization Died in the House Committee on Public Health (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/d18ff8fd4933c1adc9f2a8bb4531ab3f03e349409e6e1405f1cc98d2aae6bbb8377636969b538a34bb9db896be706cf3
House Bill 296Permits unmarried minors who are m others to consent to contraception-related medical care. Died in the House Committee on Public Health (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/6fbd5f01120cbb738d2e723407d5747b320c9111a92fefad2a9d043213b989261e35f8c4eca8d13855378a5fef8767f7
House Bill 407Prohibits mental health care providers from performing conversion therapy on minors. Died in the House Committee on Public Health (2021) Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/e15d38dd5f24995818028f7d26b1a2478c87711174bd83cbb783ff08d9d2d4b42da82c344f4d0eb987cefdaf13cd18dd
House Bill 560Prohibits mental health care providers from performing conversion therapy on minors. Died in the House Committee on Public Health (2021) Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/42325fc4be07b24a44ca24cc6620976b51810b0bb64afe382a6c356c14ee58a7292d4fa5e403e85ddd0477bc644aaa66
House Bill 726Prohibits health care providers from performing a medical procedure related to intersex traits on a foster child unless it is medically necessary and they have the informed consent of the minor. If it is medically necessary, they must obtain the informed consent of the minor in addition to court authorization. Died in the House Committee on Public Health (2021) Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/06605c9ca63c773bfc9da06425aa63fdda9d98c0e02597a779a3e2835b1107c989328d661fe0443c14f15f39792988f9
House Bill 835Prohibits the child health plan from providing coverage for any drug or devise that terminates a pregnancy. Permits child health plans to provide prescription contraceptive drugs, supplies, or devices if parental consent is obtained. Died in the House Assembly on Public Health (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/655818263e54ba218cdac8cea6bf904280ffed0d2e2d3333d3d201ca2b22be8a00939bf1662b846210f89358f851f386
House Bill 1037 Removes heteronormative language pertaining to marriage within Texas code, repeals section 2.06 of the penal code that states that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense, and removes the requirement to teach that homosexual conduct is not an acceptable lifestyle and a criminal offense within sex education. Died in the House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence (2021) Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/bdfe7facbb94335ebbd5087f62bffb0cde2954ca1a3dde4f5a277b5f1b465ee8ab9862ac1fdd5dfc181681518ac593bc
House Bill 1038Repeals section 21.06 of the Penal Code, which states that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense. Removes the requirement to teach that homosexual conduct is not an acceptable lifestyle and a criminal offense within sex education.Died in the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence (2021) Sex Education https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/5019899a24864968302196df01991d87b43be36a568e1a663cde3ee148026cab12e3103f24d1309a90ef63c86e8b0658
House Bill 1165Prohibits abortion if a fetal heartbeat is detected. Died in the House Committee on Public Health (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/a8292d1e199b532b1700cc18f3ce1123ea1ce9b74991178d4fb5821f94dd5d7545a75b87058398e8b8ab88339cffd44f
House Bill 1171Permits the court may appoint an attorney ad litem or guardian ad litem to represent a fetus during a proceeding authorizing a minor to consent to an abortion. Died in the House (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/8eafd425c2edc5fdd995a3e17554ae85af2bd981b4af4249316bff610ef09a4d03d5f17760aa0e10dca94c53d23865e9
House Bill 1280Prohibits abortion unless in the case of a medical emergency (2021) Enacted (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/413ccb0241de140cbdb0854dce4b00755b9b47d3f12b15265fbfe46e833532deaadc2a2c92f27905d86cd3cee37652a3
House Bill 1399Prohibits medical professionals from engaging in conversion therapy with minors. Died in the House (2021) Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/f3bbbef5bc57c535101e13744b6d1d25f6501164aadf30a4e2853e80ba930389e8243bb6c226b4c6bda2d5bd081f42ba
House Bill 1424Permits a medical professional to object to participating in any medical procedure that procedure violates their ethical, moral, or religious beliefsDied in the House (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/6d0b0bf213706ed8ea9682691d34b125c8a5ab6a8b1214eb8d38bdc5b05f078131db20765846db6c7e5c830a52b6c4c6
House Bill 1426Requires parental consent for a minor to receive a forensic medical examination after a sexual assault.Died in the House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/c43dc3c0281f023d817596028bd278dcd05e67d8abb919121bd3fe4c2064be6626f670b7f2d2d2e56a6eeb02326a576d
House Bill 1432Prohibits abortion based upon the fetuses race, ethnicity, or national origin. Died in the House Committee on Public Health (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/a6714e721f6d4c668aac7bf963d5b26fa2503db028b0d10c22682788ebed3374bf7691ad2a86dc16935d8dbe456e4efb
House Bill 1515Prohibits abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected. Died in the House Committee on Public Health (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/655501e20acace58f4075c378dbf9cdaa96bd16641fb73ab10679b786dba169903e6ff4fd89506dac26ae3225eb48f94
House Bill 2516Prohibits health benefit plans from providing coverage for conversion therapy. Died in the House Committee on Insurance (2021) Sexual Orientation and Gender Identityhttps://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/f4c5b4cb62900eacc334d8de9a07744abe9b76f81e0bd9ce9f671816fd0be0f4731f19d63a65c1931feb0196b375a2bb
House Bill 2679Requires schools to teach sex education that is medically accurate, age appropriate, include affirming information about gender identity and sexual orientation, cover human sexuality, pregnancy, and STIs, discuss human sexuality as a normal and healthy aspect of human development, include instruction on consent education, contraceptive methods, healthy relationships, and emphasize the importance of abstinence. Further, districts must adopt policies concerning the distribution of condoms and menstrual products. Parental notice regarding sex education instruction must be provided prior to the beginning of the school year. Died in the House Committee on Public Education (2021) Sex Education https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/ab4b7e73add62c46c906758b564283cefc8c96842e8483335c92492b5b1e9abc89ef9594c88d6e368493384e4e658089
House Bill 2753Prohibits health benefit plans offered to employees to cover conversion therapy. Died in the House Committee on Insurance (2021) Sexual Orientation and Gender Identityhttps://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/c5b46f0829fb006f584c6e2cf67087cefb29dc66e4237c38a789198467c33efce7d7d7de2d66e7758f916c250f71063c
House Bill 3058Requires schools to teach one credit of health education. Died in the House Committee on Public Education (2021) Sex Education https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/6962aca1ecc9b4c05dfe65c9ad353fc5cff1c294253ce7264aa23c7e8c551f9d5ece39c9e1765abd9ef166f108780864
House Bill 3196 Prohibits health care providers from engaging in conversion therapy with patients. Died in the House Committee on Public Health (2021) Sexual Orientation and Gender Identityhttps://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/f64a118dfa5e4938773e050008ce3e65aab1ab6b7575bf5ddbfe110ce8c6414b799b1e349f80aa02a45f3e8d2d654976
House Bill 3218Prohibits abortion based upon the race, ethnicity, sex, or disability of the fetus. Died in the House (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/7ce62b7b3b81c89e3ada05701d761d37434d34bc14b2fc4cd09efe2a7983be85b7dd98f7bbbe4deb9adc6b420476ed26
House Bill 3326Prohibits abortion. Died in the House Committee on Public Health (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/1dd52312cf7074732842a0df655e546a63367390c530c8614837587d41331cce8bb5fc745bc60b31f9da078d1b456f61
House Bill 3369Permits minors who are at least 16 years of age to consent to contraception related examination or medical treatment other than abortion. Died in the House Committee on Public Health (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/bf0b23d2aae63602e571a013a65d0f8e8576109550f5a46e06ba9d6a59493c971d821fb974e8bca12e106ca25411f78e
House Bill 3641Asserts that Texas shall enforce prohibitions and other restrictions of abortion without regard to Roe v. Wade. Died in the House Committee on State Affairs (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/a22a74f32d4dcc769b97e955e2d19708835ef19a4b270d5ca46348ad59a14a2fcbdbeaa974c389d6a51de136e5165504
House Bill 3872Defines additional requirements of each local school health advisory committee, including adopting a resolution convening the local school health advisory council for the purpose of making recommendations regarding the curriculum or curriculum materials. The Commissioner must adopt rules requiring school districts to use a process to adopting curriculum materials for sex education. Died in the House Committee on Public Health (2021) Sex Education https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/b2c9563f52b24c51117bde0037291c16879bebf3f616722d46c399a481466066668b719a1324d50742d8414eddb0c8d9
House Bill 4088 Requires schools to provide medically accurate and age-appropriate sex education. Curriculum must include instruction on human sexuality as a normal and healthy aspect of human development, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections. Curriculum must provide instruction on contraceptives and healthy relationships, Died in the House Committee on Public Education (2021) Sex Education https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/8077110e2dfb9c2f4819274cff4054f273fa38adb8f1d86f412b7508324febccab091c77b0a377ac4f19cc4209804b7f
House Bill 4200Permits home-rule municipalities to prohibit abortion. Died in the House Committee on State Affairs (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/2f83766b4f932b49fdc1e57456a0d23d95e2e68874e42adc476d3907cd4cd3f1e3d365b83afe291b9463f1f9c81a3615
House Bill 4339Prohibits abortion based upon the race, ethnicity, sex, or disability of the fetus, including a probability of diagnosis that the fetus has a disabilityDied in the House Committee on Public Health (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/be858e0fc88207f9ca73ebb4e309f61f9a65f91fc21baa76c15c498090cddf286de80676146bbb14a438d919cf91be63
House Bill 4389Repeals medically unnecessary and outdated abortion restrictions, and permits minors 16 years of age or older to consent to medical care.Died in the House Committee on Public Health (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/a6ab7e1d18db7249ee681e4b3212b02ae111a025a8773a5ef6786fbf9c8e05807845ca7305739ed85192d5d63f0f04f3
House Bill 4425Repeals the requirement for educators to emphasize homosexual conduct as an unacceptable lifestyle and as a criminal offense. Died in the House Committee on Public Health (2021) Sex Education https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/6276a244fe834515fd021ebd825a4d6492f11233e12c262809bdd0c16635430ca9fc58a678e43e7117629660caff8a74
Senate Bill 8Prohibits abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected. Enacted (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/12587e362338677ae42c99673f026880b2854f641f38a4de82153b92f58434e4dd7ee91658b0de875cdaf45227fcfe3c
Senate Bill 9Prohibits abortion unless in the case of a medical emergency. Died in the House Committee on Public Health (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/c297a86e6596ddcbf5bf80f184eb236fd62f169812a547d4d5f9cd5145261f3349ca1c8be28a443310075da2325db2e1
Senate Bill 97Prohibits mental health providers from performing conversion therapy on minors. Died in the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services (2021) Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/af8d45ee50db8e5779fe586c95ed5ee035f5397ea0d464327a7d10d945e6b0686d50c899189422b588bc5ef30798c7e9
Senate Bill 129Remotes heteronormative language pertaining to marriage within Texas code, repeals section 2.06 of the penal code that states that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense, and removes the requirement to teach that homosexual conduct is not an acceptable lifestyle and a criminal offense within sex education. Died in the Senate Committee on State Affairs (2021) Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/13a4c5542eebdc03c6597ca3f2579ced6ac00cdc679ba40cdb6f64aeb3381541c6c444486d6b842a9081e0e56d15aa54
Senate Bill 261Repeals section 21.06 of the Penal Code, which states that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense. Removes the requirement to teach that "homosexual conduct" is not an acceptable lifestyle and a criminal offense within sex education.Died in the Senate Committee on State Affairs (2021) Sex Education https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/c8129f270c0d0cf4704d1377ae463f461a5af5bffaa1d8ed765326caa1dd5ca9a0d44528fadba35214cf68857b7e6986
Senate Bill 391Prohibits abortion unless in the case of a medical emergency. Died in the Senate Committee on State Affairs (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/7438e2e75118eb2535eca864de2d1380eb40dcf37245f7cb7332d01660d3708b8350b3323b8a57f158db41212d6a29b7
Senate Bill 442Requires the local school health advisory council to adopt a policy establishing a process of adopting curriculum for sex education. Died in the Senate (2021) Sex Education https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/e493399f9d73ba1f8262dca62fd266eca4338d8d4ad25094ed654c07f4816f88f21e13692d87b4a91c5f02991ff605e1
Senate Bill 536Permits pregnant and recently pregnant minors 16 and older to consent to medical care. Died in the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/d3a7b7eb36709b8002ee75d952c117fb8892adf3d524bb456763f62395ed871caf2e023a3661d8945d69eadf5b969ee2
Senate Bill 1173Prohibits abortion based upon the race, ethnicity, sex, or disability of the fetus. Died in the Senate (2021) Reproductive Health Care https://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/cea3b0bc485af0d31cad1ff5dc45d906905a797fc0d79150e0f4b1cdaf215176f797dae4ba8dcf6989aa549b95c8d97d
Senate Bill 1311Prohibits health care providers from providing gender affirming care to minors. Died in the House Committee on Public Health (2021) Sexual Orientation and Gender Identityhttps://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/bf5371476417aa27e2b75f6b00afc9212e340a3608e0c92b8cb23f94c49d33f827c01a86bd6e0305904f98638afcf6d7
Senate Bill 1646Classifies parental consent of a minor to obtain gender affirming medical care as child abuse. Died in the Senate Committee on Public Health (2021) Sexual Orientation and Gender Identityhttps://s3.amazonaws.com/fn-document-service/file-by-sha384/d84a389a72867f1e29e1c92cffe93f946c7900e9284968d205860bc25f6a71838c734313f2ba3fee53d9e131d4e6cb03

Youth Sexual Health Data

Young people are more than their health behaviors and outcomes. While data can be a powerful tool to demonstrate the sex education and sexual health care needs of young people, it is important to be mindful that these behaviors and outcomes are impacted by systemic inequities present in our society that affect an individual’s sexual health and well-being. To learn more about Texas’ Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) results, click here.

Texas School Health Profiles Data 

In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the School Health Profiles, which measure school health policies and practices and highlight which health topics were taught in schools across the country. Since the data were collected from self-administered questionnaires completed by schools’ principals and lead health education teachers, the CDC notes that one limitation of the School Health Profiles is bias toward the reporting of more positive policies and practices. In the School Health Profiles, the CDC identifies 20 sexual health education topics as critical for ensuring a young person’s sexual health.

Texas did not participate in the 2016 or 2018 School Health Profiles survey.

(Visit the CDC’s School Health Profiles report for additional information on school health policies and practices.)

***The quality of sex education taught often reflects funding available for sex education programs. To learn more about federal funding streams, click here.

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