HR 3527119th CongressIn Committee

Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act of 2025

Introduced: May 21, 2025

EducationHealthcare

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act of 2025 aims to overhaul how the federal government supports sex education and sexual health services for young people. The bill would authorize grants to K-12 schools, youth-serving organizations, and institutions of higher education to provide comprehensive, evidence-informed, confidential, and youth-friendly sex education and related health services. It emphasizes trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and anti-racist approaches, with a strong focus on underserved communities and the broader concept of reproductive justice. In addition to education, the act would fund steps to improve access to a full range of sexual health services, including contraception, STI testing and treatment, vaccines (like HPV), and related supports. The bill would also replace funding for abstinence-only programs, reallocate those dollars to these new activities, and require regular reporting and independent evaluation to track impact. If enacted, the measure would represent a substantial expansion of federal support for comprehensive sex education and youth-focused health services, aiming to reduce disparities in outcomes among Black, Indigenous, Latine, Asian American, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and other communities of color, as well as other underserved groups. It would also change some related laws and reallocate funding over a multi-year period (fiscal years 2026–2031).

Key Points

1Comprehensive, standards-aligned sex education and health services: The act requires sex education and sexual health information to be evidence-informed, medically accurate, developmentally appropriate, confidential, and culturally responsive, aligned with National Sexuality Education Standards.
2Broad grant programs across education levels: The Secretary (in coordination with the Department of Education) would award 5-year grants to K-12 schools and youth-serving organizations (section 4) and to institutions of higher education (section 5) to implement age- and developmentally appropriate sex education. Grants favor state/local educational agencies and tribal groups for K-12, and are prioritized for eligible higher-ed institutions with particular minority-serving designations.
3Educator training and capacity building: A separate 5-year grant program would fund professional development for teachers and staff to improve sex education delivery, including anti-racist and gender-inclusive practices, and to support research, dissemination, and peer training (section 6).
4Youth-friendly sexual health services for underserved youth: The act would fund grants to provide youth-friendly services, improve access, referrals, partnerships, and outreach for underserved young people (section 7). Services would cover contraception, HPV vaccines, STI care, PrEP/PEP, and related supports, with attention to language and cultural needs.
5Accountability, reporting, and independent evaluation: Covered grantees would report annually on fund use and access outcomes (section 8). The Secretary would issue annual Congress reports and commission a multi-year evaluation by an independent nonprofit to assess impact, with public release of findings (section 8).
6Funding and policy shift: The Act authorizes $100 million per year (fiscal years 2026–2031) and reorganizes funding to support education, training, and services. It reallocates unobligated abstinence-only until marriage funds to this program and repeals the abstinence-only program (section 12).
7Non-discrimination and limitations: The act prohibits discrimination on grounds including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, disability, religion, and other statuses (section 9). It also sets limits to ensure content is accurate, inclusive, and aligned with ethical public health practice (section 10).
8Legislative amendments: The bill would amend related laws, including parts of the Public Health Service Act and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, to reflect the new emphasis on comprehensive sex education and related information (section 11).

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Young people ages 10–29 (as defined by the bill), with a focus on underserved youth and communities of color, immigrants, those in foster or juvenile systems, pregnant/parenting youth, LGBTQ+ youth, and those living with HIV or disabilities.- K-12 schools, school districts, and local educational agencies that would implement or partner in sex education and youth-friendly health services.- Institutions of higher education and students, particularly those designated as minority-serving or otherwise serving needy student populations.Secondary group/area affected- Educators, school administrators, health educators, and college staff who would receive professional development and participate in new curricula and service delivery approaches.- Health providers and community organizations partnering with schools and colleges to deliver sexual health services and referrals.Additional impacts- Strengthened data collection and accountability through annual reports to Congress and a public evaluation, including data disaggregated by race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other characteristics (while protecting personal privacy).- Potential shifts in state and local sex education mandates as federal support and standards influence school practices.- Increased availability of youth-friendly services such as contraception, STI prevention and treatment, HPV vaccination, and mental health/substance use support linked to sexual health.- Policy and cultural implications, given emphasis on reproductive justice, trauma-informed care, and inclusive approaches to gender identity and sexual orientation.Evidence-informed: Policies or teachings based on research and evaluation showing what works.Trauma-informed and resilience-oriented: Approaches that recognize trauma’s effects and build capacity to recover and thrive.Reproductive justice: A framework focusing on the rights to bodily autonomy, health, and the ability to parent or not parent with access to needed resources and without discrimination.National Sexuality Education Standards / Future of Sex Ed Initiative: A widely used set of standards guiding what students should learn about puberty, anatomy, contraception, HIV/STIs, consent, healthy relationships, gender identity, and related topics.Youth-friendly services: Health services designed to be confidential, accessible, and respectful of young people’s needs and privacy.

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