SACRAMENTO, CA —Assemblyman Mark Leno’s Assembly Bill 1511, which would create a statewide public education campaign to equip parents with tools necessary to talk with their teens about reproductive health and responsible behavior, passed the Assembly Floor today.
“At 93%, Californians overwhelmingly believe that parents should take an active role in their teens lives by talking with them about the personal choices they are faced with everyday, yet only 50% of California parents report feeling comfortable having these conversations,” said Assemblyman Mark Leno (D – San Francisco). “We can empower parents by giving them the tools to talk about reproductive health in a way that reflects the values of their own family.”
AB 1511 is modeled after a very successful, multicultural public education campaign piloted in San Mateo County. This legislation calls for the state to conduct a medically accurate public education campaign that is also culturally and linguistically appropriate. The campaign would give parents tips and resources to talk with their teens about making healthy, well-informed decisions early and often.
This measure is co-sponsored by NARAL and the California Latinas for Reproductive Justice and supported by a broad coalition of doctors, nurses, teachers and students. "We applaud Assemblyman Mark Leno for his leadership and the State Assembly for uniting behind a common-sense measure to prevent teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases,” said Whitney Hoyt, Political Director, NARAL Pro-Choice California. “The Stronger Families for California Act is a solution we can all agree on,"
In a 2006 survey, teens said that it was their parents that most influenced their decision making when it comes to reproductive health and responsible behavior. The Stronger Families for California Act will establish a prevention-based, culturally competent public education campaign promoting well-informed decision making about sexual health, effectively reducing teen pregnancies, STDs including HIV/AIDS, and related state taxpayer expenses.
“This measure puts parents in the driver’s seat by equipping them with the tools to talk with their teens before a crisis situation occurs,” said Leno.
AB 1511 will be heard next in the Senate.
For those joining in gay marriages today, the road from outlaw status to respectability was paved in the Legislature over three decades.
From decriminalizing sex between same-sex couples, to outlawing job discrimination against homosexuals, to adding gay members to the legislative roster, the government has been taking steps, measure-by-measure, that have led to gay couples joining hands in marriage ceremonies across the state.
