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DOE proposes K–10 health-literacy strand after HB 462; committee to weigh input
Summary
House Bill 462 directs the Board of Education, in consultation with the School Health Services Committee, to develop a health-care literacy program for grades 9–10 and remove duplicative or outdated content. DOE staff said a draft of the 2027 health standards will be available for committee review ahead of public comment in February 2027.
House Bill 462 (2026) directs the Board of Education, in consultation with the School Health Services Committee, to develop a health-care literacy program of instruction required in grades 9 and 10 and to remove duplicative or outdated topics from the health Standards of Learning.
Joseph Wark of the Department of Education told the committee that the department’s revision committee has proposed elevating health literacy into a strand — Health Literacy and Health Management (HLHM) — spanning kindergarten through grade 10. Wark said the grade 9 curriculum would introduce foundational skills for navigating the health-care system, including types of insurance plans, patient rights and informed consent, HIPAA privacy protections and reading prescription labels. Grade 10 would emphasize application and self-advocacy, including interpreting explanations of benefits and selecting the appropriate provider or setting based on cost and urgency.
Wark said the department expects to submit draft 2027 health education standards to the Board of Education in January 2027 and release them for public comment in February 2027, with anticipated finalization in spring 2027. Senator Barbara Favola and committee members agreed to schedule the item for the committee's September meeting so members can provide feedback to DOE before public comment closes.
The committee asked DOE for the draft standards and for a timeline of the review process. Wark said DOE has established advisory and revision committees of practitioners, parents and higher-education partners and will post materials online for public comment; the committee will be invited to submit feedback during the review period.
