C.R.S. § 22-25-101 Short title
22-25-101. Short title. This article shall be known and may be cited as the "Colorado Comprehensive Health Education Act".
Colorado Comprehensive Health Education Act
C.R.S. tit. 22, art. 25
in effectC.R.S. § 22-25-102 Legislative declaration
22-25-102. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly hereby finds and declares that comprehensive health education is an essential element of public education in the state of Colorado. The school system is a logical vehicle for conveying to children and parents significant health information, developing an awareness of the value of good health to the individual and to the community, promoting healthy behavior and positive self-concepts, and providing means for dealing with peer and other pressures. It is further declared that many serious health problems in Colorado, including high-risk behaviors, are directly attributable to the insufficient health knowledge and motivation of the school-age population and the general public and that studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of a planned school curriculum throughout the elementary and secondary grades in developing healthy behavior. The purpose of this article is to foster healthy behaviors in our children and communities through a comprehensive educational plan which has as its goal not only the increase of health knowledge but also the modification of high-risk behaviors.
(2) Since the enactment of this article, the general assembly has further determined that the insidious attractions of gangs and substance abuse are endangering the youth of Colorado and, by doing so, are endangering all Colorado citizens. Accordingly, the general assembly finds and declares that the implementation of educational programs in the public schools, including facility schools, is necessary to assist young people in avoiding gang involvement and substance abuse.
(3) The general assembly further finds that:
(a) For students to reach their full potential, school communities need to address comprehensive issues of student wellness, including but not limited to addressing the physical, mental, emotional, and social needs of students;
(b) High-quality physical education programs taught by persons who are licensed and endorsed in physical education may be a factor in battling the rising incidence of obesity by ensuring not only that children receive a healthy level of physical activity but that they also learn skills and develop knowledge that will enable them to maintain a healthy level of activity throughout their lifetimes;
(c) It is therefore appropriate for the general assembly to expand the "Colorado Comprehensive Health Education Act" to include funding for local student wellness programs that are coordinated with local comprehensive health education programs in public schools, including facility schools.
C.R.S. § 22-25-103 Definitions
22-25-103. Definitions. As used in this article 25, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) "Colorado comprehensive health education program" means the program created by section 22-25-104 (1) for the purpose of encouraging the teaching of comprehensive health education for the students of the schools in Colorado.
(2) "Commissioner" means the office of the commissioner of education created and existing pursuant to section 1 of article IX of the state constitution.
(3) "Comprehensive health education" means a planned, sequential health program of learning experiences in preschool, kindergarten, and grades one through twelve that must include, but is not limited to, the following topics:
(a) Communicable diseases, including, but not limited to, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) related illness;
(b) Community and environmental health;
(c) Consumer health;
(d) Dental health;
(e) Tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use;
(f) Human growth and development;
(g) Hereditary and developmental conditions;
(h) Mental and emotional health;
(i) Nutrition, personal health, and physical fitness;
(j) Family life education;
(k) Injury prevention, safety, motor vehicle safety, and emergency care;
(l) High-risk behaviors and concerns;
(m) Age-appropriate instruction on family roles and expectations, child development, and parenting; and
(n) If not included in other curricula or programs provided to students, age-appropriate information concerning sections 18-6-401 (9) and 19-3-304.5, or any successor laws, referred to generally as "safe haven laws", relating to the safe abandonment of a child to a firefighter at a fire station, or to a staff member at a hospital or a community clinic emergency center, within the first seventy-two hours of the child's life.
(3.1) "Culturally sensitive" means the integration of knowledge about individuals and groups of people into specific standards, requirements, policies, practices, and attitudes used to increase the quality of services. "Culturally sensitive" includes resources, references, and information that are meaningful to the experiences and needs of communities of color; immigrant communities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities; people with physical or intellectual disabilities; people who have experienced sexual victimization; and others whose experiences have traditionally been left out of sexual health education, programs, and policies.
(3.2) "Evidence-based program" means a program that:
(a) Was evaluated using a rigorous research design, including:
(I) Measuring knowledge, attitude, and behavior;
(II) Having an adequate sample size;
(III) Using sound research methods and processes;
(IV) Replicating in different locations and finding similar evaluation results; and
(V) Publishing results in a peer-reviewed journal;
icies.
(3.2) "Evidence-based program" means a program that:
(a) Was evaluated using a rigorous research design, including:
(I) Measuring knowledge, attitude, and behavior;
(II) Having an adequate sample size;
(III) Using sound research methods and processes;
(IV) Replicating in different locations and finding similar evaluation results; and
(V) Publishing results in a peer-reviewed journal;
(b) Research has shown to be effective in changing at least one of the following behaviors that contribute to early pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, including HIV:
(I) Delaying sexual initiation;
(II) Reducing the frequency of sexual intercourse;
(III) Reducing the number of sexual partners; or
(IV) Increasing the use of condoms and other contraceptives.
(3.3) "Facility school" means an approved facility school as defined in section 22-2-402 (1).
(3.5) "Gang" means a group of three or more individuals with a common interest, bond, or activity characterized by criminal or delinquent conduct, engaged in either collectively or individually.
(4) "High-risk behaviors" means actions by children and adolescents which present a danger to their physical or mental health or which may impede their ability to lead healthy and productive lives. "High-risk behaviors" includes, but is not limited to, dropping out of school, incest and other sexual activity with adults, sexual activity by school aged children, physical and mental abuse, violence, and use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs.
(4.5) "Law-related education program" means an educational program for teaching nonlawyers about law, the legal system, and the fundamental principles and values on which our constitutional democracy is based, which program's approach is characterized by relevant curriculum materials, interactive teaching strategies, and extensive use of community resource persons and experience.
(5) "Local comprehensive health education program" means a health education program instituted by a school board, board of cooperative services, or facility school in accordance with the requirements of this article.
(5.5) "Local student wellness program" means a program adopted by a school district, board of cooperative services, or facility school that is coordinated with health education and is designed to provide services to students in one or more of the following areas:
(a) Physical education;
(b) Nutrition services;
(c) Mental health counseling and services;
(d) Promotion of a healthy school environment;
(e) Health education;
(f) Health services;
(g) Involvement of students' families and communities in supporting and reinforcing healthy choices.
(5.7) "Positive youth development" means an approach that emphasizes the many positive attributes of young people and focuses on developing inherent strengths and assets to promote health. Positive youth development is culturally sensitive, inclusive of all youth, collaborative, and strength-based.
(6) "State board" means the state board of education created pursuant to section 1 of article IX of the state constitution.
C.R.S. § 22-25-104 Colorado comprehensive health education program - role of department of education - recommended curriculum guidelines - allocation of funds - rules
22-25-104. Colorado comprehensive health education program - role of department of education - recommended curriculum guidelines - allocation of funds - rules. (1) There is hereby created the Colorado comprehensive health education program, which shall be a voluntary program in which school districts, boards of cooperative services, and facility schools may participate through the creation of local comprehensive health education programs, which may include coordination with local student wellness programs. Implementation of the Colorado comprehensive health education program shall be a cooperative effort among the department of education, the Colorado commission on higher education, the department of public health and environment and other health education professionals, and participating school districts and boards of cooperative services.
(2) The department of education has the authority to promote the development and implementation of local comprehensive health education programs and local student wellness programs, including programs that address the mental health impacts of social media use by youth.
(3) (a) With the assistance of parents, school districts, the department of public health and environment, the Colorado commission on higher education, and other interested parties, the department of education shall develop recommended guidelines for the implementation of local comprehensive health education programs and local student wellness programs. The guidelines developed pursuant to this subsection (3) must comply with the requirements of section 22-1-128 and shall apply to all school districts.
(b) The guidelines developed by the department of education pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (3) shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following for preschool, kindergarten, and grades one through twelve:
(I) The recommended information and topics to be covered in the local comprehensive health education program or local student wellness program and the recommended methods of instruction to be used by teachers for such program;
(II) The recommended hours of instruction required to ensure that positive health knowledge, attitudes, and practices are achieved and maintained by the students;
(III) The recommended hours of instruction in physical education required to ensure that students not only develop healthy muscular and cardiovascular systems, but that they also develop skills and knowledge to enable them to remain active and healthy throughout their lifetimes; and
(IV) The recommended training the school district, the facility school, or board of cooperative services may require for staff who instruct in local comprehensive health education programs or local student wellness programs.
(c) (I) The guidelines developed by the department of education pursuant to subsection (3)(a) of this section for grades nine through twelve must include curriculum for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator. The curriculum must include a training and education program included on the list maintained by the office of cardiac arrest management pursuant to section 25-53-202, and the instruction must:
(A) Incorporate the psychomotor skills necessary to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and
(B) Use an automated external defibrillator.
(II) All schools that provide instruction to students in grades nine through twelve are strongly encouraged to implement the curriculum developed pursuant to this subsection (3)(c).
arrest management pursuant to section 25-53-202, and the instruction must:
(A) Incorporate the psychomotor skills necessary to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and
(B) Use an automated external defibrillator.
(II) All schools that provide instruction to students in grades nine through twelve are strongly encouraged to implement the curriculum developed pursuant to this subsection (3)(c).
(d) The guidelines developed by the department of education pursuant to subsection (3)(a) of this section for grades six through twelve must strongly encourage including curriculum on the mental health impacts of social media use by youth.
(4) (a) The department of education shall develop a plan for the training of teachers to provide comprehensive health education and student wellness and shall promote the proper training of staff in health education and in student wellness programs.
(b) As part of the plan to train teachers to instruct in comprehensive health education and student wellness, the Colorado department of education and the Colorado commission on higher education shall cooperatively develop course work or instructor endorsements in health, physical education, and high-risk behaviors education in order that both interested students seeking teacher licensure and practicing teachers may secure endorsement in health education, physical education, and other areas of student wellness.
(4.5) (a) The department of education shall identify programs that are evidence-based, culturally sensitive, and reflective of positive youth development guidelines for use by school districts in local comprehensive health education programs related to comprehensive human sexuality education.
(b) The department of education shall convene a stakeholder group to identify scholarly articles, programs, and resources that are evidence-based, culturally sensitive, and reflective of positive youth development guidelines for optional use by local education providers in local comprehensive health education programs related to technology use, brain development, and the physical and mental impacts of social media use.
(5) Upon the request of a school district or board of cooperative services, the department of education shall provide, within available resources, such technical assistance as may be necessary to develop a local comprehensive health education program or local student wellness program.
(6) (a) Any curriculum and materials developed and used in teaching sexuality and human reproduction shall include values and responsibility and shall give primary emphasis to abstinence by school aged children.
(b) Repealed.
(c) The provisions of paragraph (d) of this subsection (6) shall not apply to a local comprehensive health education program provided by a facility school.
(d) For those schools receiving funds pursuant to this article, school officials must receive prior written consent from a parent or guardian before his or her child is excluded from any program discussing or teaching sexuality and human reproduction. At least two weeks prior to when instruction begins for such a program, each parent must receive an overview of the topics and materials to be presented in the curriculum and a written form allowing him or her to decline to have his or her child participate in the program.
(7) The department of education shall promulgate, in accordance with article 4 of title 24, C.R.S., such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the duties of the department of education as set forth in this article.
C.R.S. § 22-25-104.5 Law-related education program - creation
22-25-104.5. Law-related education program - creation. (1) (a) There is hereby created, within the Colorado department of education prevention initiatives unit, the Colorado law-related education program for the purpose of promoting behavior which will reduce through education the incidence of gang or other antisocial behavior and substance abuse by students in the public school system.
(b) Under the program, each school district and facility school in the state is strongly encouraged to implement a law-related education program pursuant to the requirements of this article, which program shall specifically address the development of resistance to antisocial gang behavior and substance abuse without compromising academics.
(2) (a) A law-related education program implemented by a school district or facility school may be designed to promote responsible citizenship and reduce antisocial behavior without compromising academics. Specific grade levels should be determined by school districts and facility schools based on local curricular frameworks and review of what is known about existing and promising programs. All topics addressed in such law-related education program shall be taught in a manner which is appropriate for the ages of the students to be instructed.
(b) The topics for instruction in a law-related education program shall include instruction on the United States constitution and the declaration of independence and may include, but need not be limited to, the following:
(I) The rights and responsibilities of citizenship;
(II) The foundations and principles of American constitutional democracy;
(III) The role of law in American society;
(IV) The organization and purpose of legal and political systems;
(V) The disposition to abide by law;
(VI) The opportunities for responsible participation;
(VII) The alternative dispute resolution approach including mediation and conflict resolution.
(c) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2000, p. 372, § 25, effective April 10, 2000.)
(3) and (4) (Deleted by amendment, L. 99, p. 106, § 1, effective March 24, 1999.)
(5) (a) The state board shall promulgate guidelines to provide grants to and to assist school districts and facility schools in the implementation of effective, comprehensive law-related education programs addressing gang awareness and substance abuse resistance. Such guidelines shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following:
(I) Suggested topics for instruction;
(II) Suggested texts and other instructional materials; and
(III) The necessary training for instructors.
(b) The state board shall make such guidelines available to all school districts and facility schools for use in implementing law-related education programs.
(c) The department of education, through the coordinator and staff of the prevention initiatives unit, shall be responsible for implementation, monitoring, and administration of the program and shall maintain certifications and records and act as a statewide clearinghouse for information and assistance for the law-related education programs.
(6) (a) All school districts and facility schools are encouraged to create programs for the training of instructors and administrators in gang awareness and substance abuse resistance education in order to provide effective instruction to students concerning the dangers of gang involvement and substance abuse.
(b) Upon the request of school district officials, the state board shall assist school district officials in the preparation of plans for the creation by school districts of training programs for instructors and administrators in gang awareness and substance abuse resistance education.
(7) (a) Each school district and facility school may prepare an annual report concerning the progress of the school district or facility school in implementing a law-related education program. The report shall be filed with the state board on or before October 1 of each year.
tricts of training programs for instructors and administrators in gang awareness and substance abuse resistance education.
(7) (a) Each school district and facility school may prepare an annual report concerning the progress of the school district or facility school in implementing a law-related education program. The report shall be filed with the state board on or before October 1 of each year.
(b) Each annual report prepared pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (7) shall include, but shall not be limited to, an analysis by school district or facility school officials of the effect of the law-related education program on the incidence of gang involvement and substance abuse by the students in the school district or facility school.
C.R.S. § 22-25-105 Review of local comprehensive health education programs and local student wellness programs - allocation of funds by the state board of education
22-25-105. Review of local comprehensive health education programs and local student wellness programs - allocation of funds by the state board of education. (1) A school district, facility school, or board of cooperative services that is seeking funding for a local comprehensive health education program or a local student wellness program under this article shall file an application with the department of education in such form as the department of education shall require. An application for a local comprehensive health education program shall include provisions for the implementation of a law-related education program for the purpose of reducing the incidence of gang involvement and substance abuse by students through education.
(2) The commissioner or the commissioner's designee, with the assistance of the executive director of the department of public health and environment or his or her designee, shall review all applications for review of local comprehensive health education programs and local student wellness programs submitted to the department of education.
(3) (a) The state board of education shall establish a review and prioritization process for the allocation of available funds to school districts, boards of cooperative services, and facility schools based upon applications submitted to the department of education and giving due consideration to the guidelines developed pursuant to section 22-25-104 (3). Funding may be made available to districts or facility schools to implement portions of a comprehensive health education program or portions of a local student wellness program that are coordinated with health education, according to the needs of the individual school district or facility school. Pursuant to the review and prioritization process, the state board of education shall allocate available funds to the applying school districts, boards of cooperative services, and facility schools based on whether the state board of education finds that a school district, a board of cooperative services, or a facility school has planned or developed a local comprehensive health education program or a local school wellness program that will serve the objectives of this article. Funding for local comprehensive health education programs and local school wellness programs may include, but shall not be limited to, the implementation of training programs, in-service education institutes, and curriculum development programs for staff who shall instruct in comprehensive health education or for staff who shall instruct in or otherwise provide services through student wellness programs that are coordinated with health education. The state board of education shall not allocate funds to school districts, boards of cooperative services, or facility schools pursuant to the provisions of this subsection (3) until the department determines the amount of money that will be available for allocation.
(b) If sufficient moneys are not available to fund programs in every school district, the department may establish pilot programs for school districts that express an interest in developing or expanding a local comprehensive health education program or one or more components of a local student wellness program, which components include and are coordinated with health education, and in which districts there is a need for a program.
(c) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2010, (SB 10-151), ch. 109, p. 364, § 1, effective July 1, 2010.)
(4) (a) A school district may receive funding for a local student wellness program only if it includes or is otherwise coordinated with health education.
student wellness program, which components include and are coordinated with health education, and in which districts there is a need for a program.
(c) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2010, (SB 10-151), ch. 109, p. 364, § 1, effective July 1, 2010.)
(4) (a) A school district may receive funding for a local student wellness program only if it includes or is otherwise coordinated with health education.
(b) A school district or board of cooperative services may receive funding for a local student wellness program that includes physical education only if each person who teaches one or more physical education courses in the school district or for the board of cooperative services is licensed and endorsed pursuant to article 60.5 of this title in physical education; except that this requirement shall not apply to a school district that enrolls one thousand five hundred or fewer students.
C.R.S. § 22-25-106 Local comprehensive health education programs - local student wellness programs - establishment of comprehensive health education advisory councils
22-25-106. Local comprehensive health education programs - local student wellness programs - establishment of comprehensive health education advisory councils. (1) (a) Each school district and board of cooperative services may and is encouraged to establish a local comprehensive health education program. To ensure that a local comprehensive health education program reflects the health issues and values of the community, each school district or board of cooperative services may establish a comprehensive health education advisory council, or may add necessary representatives to the school district's accountability committee created pursuant to section 22-11-301 or other appropriate committee, to address and make recommendations to the school district or board of cooperative services concerning the curriculum of the local comprehensive health education program.
(b) Each school district and board of cooperative services is further encouraged to establish a local student wellness program that includes or is otherwise coordinated with health education. A school district's or board of cooperative services' comprehensive health education advisory council or accountability committee may address and make recommendations to the school district or the board of cooperative services concerning the local student wellness program, including but not limited to the programs to be provided and best practices and strategies for involving families and the community in the local student wellness programs.
(2) In establishing a comprehensive health education advisory council or in supplementing an accountability committee or other appropriate committee, the board of a school district or board of cooperative services is encouraged to appoint members of the community who represent various points of view within the school district concerning comprehensive health education; however, a majority of the committee shall be comprised of parents of children enrolled in the district. Members may include, but shall not be limited to, parents, a member of the clergy, teachers, school administrators, pupils, health-care professionals, members of the business community, law enforcement representatives, senior citizens, and other interested residents of the school district.
(3) In addition to the requirements of section 22-25-104 (3), each school district and board of cooperative services is encouraged to include instruction in its local comprehensive health education program which:
(a) Promotes parental involvement, promotes abstinence from high-risk behaviors, fosters positive self-concepts, develops decision-making skills, and provides mechanisms for coping with and resisting peer pressure;
(b) Focuses on the dynamic relationship among physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being; and
(c) Integrates available community resources into the educational program.
(4) (a) Each local comprehensive health education program which is adopted by a school district or board of cooperative services shall include a procedure to exempt a student, upon request of the parent or guardian of such student, from a specific portion of the program on the grounds that it is contrary to the religious beliefs and teachings of the student or the student's parent or guardian.
m.
(4) (a) Each local comprehensive health education program which is adopted by a school district or board of cooperative services shall include a procedure to exempt a student, upon request of the parent or guardian of such student, from a specific portion of the program on the grounds that it is contrary to the religious beliefs and teachings of the student or the student's parent or guardian.
(b) Any local school district or board of cooperative services which adopts a local comprehensive health education program shall ensure that at a minimum the following public information requirements are met:
(I) Written notification of such local comprehensive health education program shall be given to the parents or guardians of all students within such school district or board of cooperative services, including notification that a student is allowed an exemption which permits such a student, at the request of the parent or guardian of the student, to be excused from all or any part of the local comprehensive health education program; and
(II) The curriculum and materials to be used shall be made available for public inspection at reasonable times and reasonable hours and a public forum to receive public comment upon such curriculum and materials shall be held.
C.R.S. § 22-25-107 Reports required
22-25-107. Reports required. (1) Each school district, facility school, or board of cooperative services that receives funding for a local comprehensive health education program or a local student wellness program pursuant to this article shall annually file a written report with the department of education concerning the status of the program. The report shall include such information and data as the department of education shall require, including but not limited to the information received in the public forum held pursuant to section 22-25-106 (4), if applicable. The report shall be filed on or before such date as the department of education shall determine.
(2) Repealed.
C.R.S. § 22-25-108 Participation of nonpublic school personnel
22-25-108. Participation of nonpublic school personnel. Teachers, school nurses, or school administrators employed by a nonpublic school may participate as students in in-service education institutes or curriculum development programs conducted by school districts or boards of cooperative services pursuant to this article. At the discretion of the school district or board of cooperative services conducting such institutes or programs, such participants may be required to pay the pro rata share of the cost of participation.
C.R.S. § 22-25-109 Colorado comprehensive health education fund - creation - acceptance of funds - repeal
22-25-109. Colorado comprehensive health education fund - creation - acceptance of funds - repeal. (Repealed)
C.R.S. § 22-25-110 Funding of existing programs - operation of other health education programs
22-25-110. Funding of existing programs - operation of other health education programs. (1) Nothing in this article shall be interpreted to prevent a school district or board of cooperative services currently offering health education programs from being eligible to receive funding pursuant to this article.
(2) Nothing in this article 25 requires a school district or board of cooperative services to establish a local comprehensive health education program nor shall it be interpreted to prevent a school district or board of cooperative services from offering a health education program that is not operated under the requirements of this article 25; except that any school district or board of cooperative services offering such a health education program shall:
(a) Comply with the public information requirements contained in section 22-25-106 (4); and
(b) Establish a procedure to exempt a student, upon request of the parent or guardian of such student, from a specific portion of the health education program on the grounds that it is contrary to the religious or personal beliefs and teachings of the student or the student's parent or guardian.
(c) Repealed.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-22.docxFetched: 10/6/2026