Louisiana task force revisits 2014 teen‑pregnancy and HIV reports; members cite data gaps, low implementation

The HR 3 22 Task Force on Sept. 10 reviewed recommendations from two earlier panels — HR 130, which examined Louisiana’s HIV criminalization law, and HCR 90, a 2014 report on teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections — and members said the state has not adopted the recommendations and lacks consistent data to guide new policy. "None of the recommendations from that report have been adopted," a task force member said during the meeting.

The discussion matters because members said persistently high STI and teen‑pregnancy rates make clear a gap between prior recommendations and action. The panel noted limited participation in prior surveys, weak data on adolescent sexual behavior, and uneven implementation of school programs across local education agencies (LEAs).

Task force staff reviewed the HR 130 options that were drafted earlier: one option called for repeal of Louisiana Revised Statute 14:43.5 and moving transmission‑related provisions into public health code (RS 41:121.2 and RS 41:121.11), while the other recommended modernizing RS 14:43.5 to focus on intentional transmission and add definitions (for example, defining specific intent and what constitutes a contact that poses a substantial risk). Staff said the HR 130 report also recommended statutory changes to RS 15:541 (removing cross‑references) and amendments to expungement and registry rules in Louisiana Children’s Code/penal procedure provisions.

On HCR 90, staff summarized the 2014 recommendations: state‑mandated, evidence‑based, medically accurate and age‑appropriate sexual health education in public schools beginning statewide in fifth grade (with LEAs allowed to begin in third grade); amending RS 17 (the education code) to permit testing or polling to track student knowledge and behavior; routine surveys of LEAs to document content and implementation; tying implementation to existing school health advisory committees; encouraging public‑private partnerships; and creating a multi‑agency collaborative including the Departments of Education, Health, Children and Family Services and juvenile justice to report annually to the legislature.

Members said the HCR 90 survey had a low response rate — 6.8 percent of schools — and that the appendix shows many responding schools that reported offering sexual health education nonetheless omitted basic topics: 30 percent of responding schools that taught some level of sex education did not teach puberty and adolescence, and 36 percent did not teach reproductive anatomy. Task force members said those limits make it difficult to generalize statewide implementation.

The panel discussed data gaps that hinder policy choices. Members noted Louisiana does not participate in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS) in full — the state does not collect the sexual‑behavior modules used in other states — leaving policymakers without routine, anonymous adolescent behavioral data. "Right now we're not able to collect any information about adolescent sexual behavior and we're one of the few states that don't participate in that national survey," a staff member said.

Participants also raised fiscal questions. One member cited a figure from the HCR 90 report estimating $742,000,000 in direct annual costs to treat curable STIs in 2014 and said those costs have likely risen; several members urged the task force to include fiscal analysis with any implementation recommendation. "Appropriators are going to want to know what that impact looks like," a member who identified themselves with budget responsibility said.

Members debated the role of parents and schools in curriculum delivery. Several task force members and guests emphasized parental engagement and consent: multiple speakers noted that most current school programs are voluntary and require parental permission, and that LEAs, principals and school boards control whether local programs run. A school nurse on the panel described local partnerships with public‑health nurses, university nursing programs and school‑based health centers that delivered curricula with parental consent; others urged pilot programs targeted to high‑need parishes as a way to measure impact before statewide mandates.

The group identified next steps: compile the Louisiana Public Health Institute parent‑survey findings, review the HCR 90 appendix questions to evaluate their coverage, seek data on current LEA practices and STI reportable data from the Louisiana Department of Health, and prepare a fiscal impact summary tying proposed school or state actions to projected costs and potential health care savings.

The meeting recorded no binding votes on policy changes; members approved the previous meeting’s minutes by consensus, moved to defer some agenda items to a future meeting, and closed the session. The task force scheduled follow‑up research and asked staff to circulate documents in advance of the next convening.

Less urgent procedural items concluded the meeting: members formally approved the August 29 minutes by consensus after a motion and second and later voted to adjust the agenda; no legislative language or new rules were adopted at this session.