,,ii #aadth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #cee ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #c1 #bjae ,mr4 ,kaine 7for himself1 ,mrs4 ,mc,caskill1 and ,mr4 ,blumenthal7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to support the provision of safe relationship behavior education and training4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,teach ,safe ,relationships ,act of #bjae4 #b4 ,fund for the improvement of education ,part ,d of title ,v of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #gbda et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #bb ,providing safe relationship behavior education and training #efba4 ,short title ,this subpart may be cited as the ,teach ,safe ,relationships ,act of #bjae4 #efbb4 ,statement of purpose ,it is the purpose of this subpart3 7#a7 ,to help ensure that all students receive evidence-informed safe relationship behavior education and training1 including education and training regarding the prevention of teen and adolescent dating violence or relationship abuse1 domestic abuse1 and sexual violence and harassment4 7#b7 ,to promote safe and healthy relationships between and among students4 7#c7 ,to help students and school faculty and staff to develop healthy and respectful attitudes and insights necessary for students to understand themselves in the context of relationships with others and with society4 7#d7 ,to provide financial assistance to support local educational agencies in meeting the requirements of title ,,ix of the ,educational ,amendments of #aigb4 #efbc4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,educating students about safe relationship behavior will aid in the prevention of unsafe dating practices1 including dating violence1 sexual assault1 and stalking4 7#b7 ,the ,violence ,against ,women ,act of #aiid 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acibe et seq47 included programs to develop and implement prevention and intervention policies in middle and high schools1 including appropriate responses to1 and identification and referral procedures for1 students who are experiencing or perpetrating domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 sexual harassment1 stalking1 or sex trafficking4 7#c7 ,schools can play an important role in providing students with a knowledge base that may allow students to make informed decisions and form a healthy lifestyle4 7#d7 ,according to the ,department of ,justice1 there is an average of #bic1jff victims 7age #ab or older7 of rape and sexual assault each year4 7#e7 ,young women between the ages of #af and #bd experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence4 ,according to one national study1 #bi percent of the young women surveyed who had ever been in a relationship said they had been pressured to have sex or to engage in sexual activity they did not want4 7#f7 ,from #aiig to #bjac1 females ages #ah to #bd consistently experienced higher rates of rape and sexual assault than females in other age brackets4 7#g7 ,partners of all genders and those in same-sex relationships also experience dating violence4 ,a #bjac survey of grade school students found that #dc percent of lesbian1 gay1 bisexual1 and transgender youth reported being victims of physical dating violence1 compared to #bi percent of heterosexual youth4 7#h7 ,experiencing dating violence is associated with an increase in sexual risk-taking behaviors1 health risks1 and is associated with adolescent and unintended pregnancy4 7#i7 ,teaching and learning practices in the ,united ,states frequently do not address safe relationship behavior education and training1 for example-- 7,a7 sex education curriculum should address emotional relationship health2 7,b7 sexual harassment undermines the ability of schools to provide safe and equitable learning or workplace environments2 and 7,c7 classroom textbooks and educational materials do not sufficiently reflect the promotion of safe and healthy relationships4 7#aj7 ,efforts to improve the quality of public education must also include efforts to ensure programs for safe relationship behavior training4 7#aa7 ,federal support should address not only research and development of innovative model curricula and teaching and learning strategies to promote healthy behavior1 but should also assist schools and local communities with implementing a curriculum that includes sexual assault and teen dating violence4 #efbd4 ,definitions ,in this subpart3 7#a7 ,consent 7,a7 ,in ,general ,the term consent means affirmative1 unambiguous1 and voluntary agreement to engage in a specific sexual activity during a sexual encounter4 7,b7 ,limitations ,consent cannot be given by an individual who is-- 7i7 asleep1 or mentally or physically incapacitated1 either through the effect of drugs or alcohol or for any other reason2 7ii7 under duress or experiencing a threat1 coercion1 or force2 or 7iii7 inferred under circumstances in which consent is not clear1 including the absence of language or actions that indicate unwillingness 7such as saying no or stop71 or the existence of a prior or current relationship or prior or current sexual activity4 7#b7 ,safe relationship behavior education ,the term safe relationship behavior education means education that-- 7,a7 is medically accurate and appropriate for an individual's age1 developmental stage1 and culture2 7,b7 promotes safe relationships and teaches students to recognize and prevent-- 7i7 physical and emotional relationship abuse2 and 7ii7 coercion1 violence1 or abuse1 including teen and adolescent dating violence1 domestic abuse1 and sexual violence and harassment2 7,c7 includes education regarding relationship communication skills1 emotional health1 accountability1 and well-being in relationships1 and consent2 and 7,d7 includes education regarding healthy relationships1 including the development of healthy attitudes and insights necessary for understanding relationships between oneself1 family1 partners1 others1 and society1 including skills on healthy self-esteem1 and self-efficacy and stress management4 7#c7 ,sexual assault ,the term sexual assault means any nonconsensual sexual act proscribed by ,federal1 ,state1 or tribal law1 including when a victim lacks capacity to consent4 7#d7 ,sexual harassment ,the term sexual harassment means unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature1 including unwelcome sexual advances1 requests for sexual favors1 and other verbal1 nonverbal1 or physical conduct of a sexual nature4 7#e7 ,sexual violence ,the term sexual violence means physical sexual acts perpetrated against a person's will or when or where a person is incapable of giving consent4 7#f7 ,teen and adolescent dating violence ,the term teen and adolescent dating violence means-- 7,a7 violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim2 and 7,b7 where the existence of such a relationship shall be determined based on a consideration of factors1 including-- 7i7 the length of the relationship2 7ii7 the type of relationship2 and 7iii7 the frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship4 #efbe4 ,grants authorized 7a7 ,authority ,the ,secretary is authorized to award grants to local educational agencies in order to enable such agencies-- 7#a7 to provide professional development to school administrators1 teachers1 and staff in safe relationship behavior education and teaching and learning practices2 and 7#b7 to provide educational programming and curricula that is age appropriate and developmentally and culturally appropriate for students regarding safe relationship behavior education and training4 7b7 ,award basis ,the ,secretary is authorized to award grants under this section-- 7#a7 on a competitive basis2 and 7#b7 in a manner that ensures that such grants are equitably distributed among local educational agencies located in rural1 urban1 and suburban areas4 7c7 ,duration ,grants awarded under this section shall be for a period of #d years4 7d7 ,policy dissemination ,the ,secretary shall disseminate to local educational agencies any ,department policy guidance regarding safe relationship behavior training and the promotion of safe and healthy relationships4 7e7 ,use of funds ,each local educational agency that receives a grant under this subpart shall use grant funds to develop and implement curricula for students that-- 7#a7 incorporate elements of effective and evidence-based or evidence-informed programs that include-- 7,a7 safe relationship behavior training1 including for the prevention of teen and adolescent dating violence1 domestic abuse1 and sexual violence and harassment2 and 7,b7 education about healthy relationships between oneself and family1 others1 and society2 and 7#b7 are age appropriate1 developmentally appropriate1 and culturally and linguistically appropriate1 reflecting the diverse circumstance and realities of young people4 7f7 ,application ,to be eligible for a grant under this section1 a local educational agency shall submit an application to the ,secretary at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may require4 ,each application shall include a description of the local educational agency's-- 7#a7 need for funds provided under this subpart2 7#b7 plan for implementing the activities described under subsection 7e72 and 7#c7 measurable objectives for1 and expected results from1 the use of funds provided by the grant under this subpart4 7g7 ,selection of grantees 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall determine1 based on the peer review process described in paragraph 7#c71 which local educational agencies shall receive funding under this subpart1 and the amount of the grant funding under this subpart that each selected local educational agency will receive4 7#b7 ,grant amounts ,in determining the amount of each grant awarded under this subpart1 the ,secretary shall take into account the total amount of funds available for all grants under this subpart and the types of activities proposed to be carried out by each local educational agency1 in order to ensure that all grants are of sufficient size1 scope1 and quality to be effective4 7#c7 ,peer review process ,the ,secretary shall convene a peer review committee to review applications for grants under this subpart and to make recommendations to the ,secretary regarding the selection of grantees4 4 #c4 ,general prohibition ,section #iebf7;a77#c7 of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #gijf7;a77#c77 is amended by adding and safe relationship behavior education 7as defined in section #efbd7 after abstinence4