Legislative Language and Report Language for Abstinence Education Provision

A. Legislative Language

SEC. 9112. Abstinence Education.

Title V of the Social Act (42 U.S.C. 701 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end of the following section:

SEPARATE PROGRAM FOR ABSTINENCE EDUCATION

"SEC. 510. (a) For the purpose described in subsection (b), the Secretary shall, for fiscal year 1998 and each subsequent fiscal year, allot to each State which has transmitted an application for the fiscal year under section 505(a) an amount equal to the product of--
"(1) the amount appropriated in subsection (d) for the fiscal year; and
"(2) the percentage determined for the State under section 502(c)(1)(B)(ii).
"(b)(1) The purpose of an allotment under subsection (a) to a State is to enable the State to provide abstinence education, and at the option of the State, where appropriate, mentoring, counseling, and adult supervision to promote abstinence from sexual activity, with a focus on those groups which are most likely to bear children out-of-wedlock.
"(2) For purposes of this section, the term ‘abstinence education’ means an educational or motivational program which --
"(A) has as its exclusive purpose, teaching the social, psychological, and health gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity;
"(B) teaches that abstinence from sexual activity outside marriage as the expected standard for all school age children;
"(C) teaches that abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other associated health problems;
"(D) teaches that a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in context of marriage is the expected standard of human sexual activity;
"(E) teaches that sexual activity outside the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects;
"(F) teaches that bearing children out-of-wedlock is likely to have harmful consequences for the child, the child’s parents, and society;
"(G) teaches young people how to reject sexual advances and how alcohol and drug use increases vulnerability to sexual advances; and
"(H) teaches the importance of attaining self-sufficiency before engaging in sexual activity.
"(c)(1) Sections 503, 507, and 508 apply to allotments under subsection (a) to the same extent and in the same manner as such sections apply to allotments under section 502(c).
(2) Sections 505 and 506 apply to allotments under subsection (a) to the extent determined by the Secretary to be appropriate.
"(d) For the purpose of allotments under subsection (a), there is appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, an additional $50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1998 through 2002. The appropriation under the preceding sentence for a fiscal year is made on October 1 of the fiscal year."

B. Report Language

13. ABSTINENCE EDUCATION

Present Law The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) block grants (title V of the SSA, 42 USC 701) provides grants to States and insular areas to fund a broad range of preventive health and primary care activities to improve the health status of mothers and children, with a special emphasis on those with low income or with limited availability of health services. Sec. 502 includes a set-aside program for projects of national or regional significance. (The FY 1995 appropriation for MCH was $684 million.) See also: Title XX of the Public Health Service Act establishes the Adolescent Family Life (AFL) program to encourage adolescents to delay sexual activity and to provide services to alleviate the problems surrounding adolescent parenthood. One-third of all funding for AFL program services go to projects that provide "prevention services." The purpose of the prevention component is to find effective means within the context of the family of reaching adolescents, both male and female, before they become sexually active to maximize the guidance and support of parents and other family members in promoting abstinence from adolescent premarital sexual relations. (The FY 1995 appropriation for AFL was $6.7 million.)

House bill

Increases the authorization level to $761 million for FY 96 and each subsequent fiscal year. Adds abstinence education to the services to be provided. Defines abstinence education as an educational or motivational program which:
(A) teaches the gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity;
(B) teaches abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage as the expected standard for all school age children;
(C) teaches that abstinence is the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other health problems;
(D) teaches that a monogamous relationship in context of marriage is expected standard of human sexual activity;
(E) teaches that sexual activity outside of marriage is likely to have harmful effects;
(F) teaches that bearing children out-of-wedlock is likely to have harmful consequences;
(G) teaches young people how to avoid sexual advances and how alcohol and drug use increases vulnerability to sexual advances;
(H) teaches the importance of attaining self-sufficiency before engaging in sexual activity.

Senate amendment

Amends the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) block grants (title V of the SSA) to set aside $75 million to provide abstinence education -- defined as an educational or motivational program that has abstaining from sexual activity as its exclusive purpose -- and to provide at the option of the State mentoring, counseling and adult supervision to promote abstinence with a focus on those groups most likely to hear children out-of-wedlock. Also increases the authorization level of MCH to $761 million. (This provision was deleted due to the Byrd Rule.)

Conference agreement

The conference agreement follows the House bill with modification that $50 million for each of fiscal years 1998-2002 is directly appropriated for this purpose.

Go To:
Haskins and Bevan Paper
Appendix A
Table 1
Abstinence Education Agenda