This bill creates a federal program to fund comprehensive sex education and sexual health services for young people ages 10-29. The government would provide grants to schools, colleges, health organizations, and youth programs to teach medically accurate information about topics like puberty, contraception, STIs, HIV, consent, healthy relationships, and how to recognize abuse. A major focus is making sure these programs actually reach and serve marginalized young people—including Black, Latino, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, and low-income youth—who historically have been underserved or harmed by inadequate health education.

The bill recognizes that many young people today don't receive comprehensive sex education, and when they do, it's often not based on medical evidence. It also acknowledges the historical harm done to communities of color through forced sterilization and reproductive control, and aims to address ongoing inequities in health education. The program would fund four main areas: sex education in K-12 schools and youth organizations, sex education in colleges, training for teachers and health educators, and youth-friendly sexual health services (like contraception access and STI testing) specifically designed for marginalized young people.

The bill sets aside $100 million per year for six years to fund these grants and requires independent evaluation to measure whether the programs actually improve young people's health outcomes. It also removes some older federal restrictions on sex education funding. Importantly, the bill prohibits using these funds for programs that withhold health information, contain medical inaccuracies, promote stereotypes, or fail to include LGBTQ+ youth and other marginalized groups.

Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act of 2023

Hirono, Mazie K.

Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish grants to support sex education and sexual health services for young people (ages 10 through 29) and repeals requirements that apply to certain federally funded sex education programs. HHS must award grants, in coordination with the Department of Education, to (1) provide sex education to young people; and (2) train education professionals to effectively teach, and otherwise support, sex education. Sex education refers to high quality teaching and learning that <ul> <li>follows, to the maximum extent practicable, specified educational standards;</li> <li>covers a variety of topics concerning sex and sexuality;</li> <li>explores values and beliefs about those topics; and</li> <li>helps young people gain skills to navigate relationships and manage sexual health.</li> </ul> Additionally, HHS must award grants to youth-serving organizations and health care entities that are eligible to receive covered outpatient drugs at reduced prices through the 340B drug discount program for providing sexual health services to marginalized youth. Recipients of any of these grants must comply with certain nondiscrimination requirements. In addition, they may not use funds for sex education programs or sexual health services that provide incomplete or inaccurate medical information or fail to address specified issues. The bill also eliminates prohibitions regarding the content of specified federally funded sexual health education and information programs and repeals the Abstinence Only Until Marriage program.