LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeEducation CodeCh. 5.6Art. 1§ 51931 Sexual Health Education Definitions

§ 51931 Sexual Health Education Definitions

Education Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 51931 Sexual Health Education Definitions

Key Takeaways

  • •This law defines what 'age appropriate' means for teaching kids about health and relationships. It should match what kids can understand at their age.
  • •It explains what 'comprehensive sexual health education' includes: things like how bodies change, how babies are made, how to stay safe, and how to avoid getting sick.
  • •Teachers must know the latest, correct info about health and relationships, backed by science and trusted health groups.
  • •The rules apply to all public schools, including special schools for deaf or blind kids, and starting in 2019, charter schools too.

Example

A 5th-grade teacher is planning a lesson on health.

The teacher must make sure the lesson is right for 10-year-olds. They can't use the same words or details they would use for high schoolers. For example, they might explain basic body changes during puberty but not go into details about sexually transmitted infections yet.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 51931 Sexual Health Education Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply: (a) “Age appropriate” refers to topics, messages, and teaching methods suitable to particular ages or age groups of children and adolescents, based on developing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capacity typical for the age or age group. (b) “Comprehensive sexual health education” means education regarding human development and sexuality, including education on menstrual health, pregnancy, contraception, and sexually transmitted infections. (c) “English learner” means a pupil as described in subdivision (a) of Section 306. (d) “HIV prevention education” means instruction on the nature of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS, methods of transmission, strategies to reduce the risk of HIV infection, and social and public health issues related to HIV and AIDS. (e) “Instructors trained in the appropriate courses” means instructors with knowledge of the most recent medically accurate research on human sexuality, healthy relationships, pregnancy, and HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. (f) “Medically accurate” means verified or supported by research conducted in compliance with scientific methods and published in peer-reviewed journals, where appropriate, and recognized as accurate and objective by professional organizations and agencies with expertise in the relevant field, such as the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Public Health Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (g) (1) “School district” includes county boards of education, county superintendents of schools, the California School for the Deaf, and the California School for the Blind. (2) Commencing with the 2019–20 school year, “school district” also includes charter schools. (Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 706, Sec. 2. (AB 2229) Effective January 1, 2025.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

educationage appropriatemedically accurateschool districtcompliancemotionhealthport

Related Statutes

  • § 8203 Preschool Program Quality Standards
  • § 88008 Restricted Community College Positions
  • § 51932 Sex Education Exemptions
  • § 51933 Sexual Health Education Standards
  • § 17047 Special Education Facility Space

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Education Code. Section 51931.
View Official Source