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Senate education committee backs substitute requiring safety and dating-violence instruction, allows parental opt-out for younger grades
Summary
The West Virginia Senate Education Committee on March 6 adopted a committee substitute for Senate Bill 220 that would require annual personal-safety instruction in grades 3–6 (with a parental opt-out) and annual dating-violence instruction in grades 7–12.
CHARLESTON — The West Virginia Senate Education Committee on March 6 adopted a committee substitute for Senate Bill 220 that would require annual, age-appropriate instruction on personal safety and assault prevention for students in grades 3 through 6 and annual instruction on dating violence for students in grades 7 through 12.
The committee heard from counsel that the substitute requires schools to provide instruction and to notify parents at least one week before the lesson; it allows a student to be excused from the grades 3–6 instruction if the parent or guardian submits a written request. Counsel also told the committee the opt-out does not apply to the abuse-related portion of the instruction.
The substitute makes the requirements voluntary for public charter schools and nonpublic schools and does not specify which school employee must deliver the instruction. “It doesn’t really specify exactly who’s to teach it, just that it’s to be provided,” Counsel said during the committee explanation. Committee members asked whether the bill creates an unfunded mandate; counsel said the substitute did not include a fiscal note and did not identify a specific instructor category.
The committee adopted the committee substitute by voice vote and then voted to report the substitute to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass; under the original double-committee reference the measure will first go to the Judiciary Committee.
Votes at a glance: The committee agreed to the committee substitute and then adopted the motion to report the bill to the full Senate; both actions were decided by voice vote and the chair declared the ayes to have it.
The committee did not adopt any amendments to the substitute. The substitute leaves implementation details — including which staff deliver instruction and any required training for instructors — to local districts and the Department of Education.
