CA lawmaker introduces bill to make free condoms available to high school students

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A California lawmaker has introduced a measure to code the rising rates of sexually transmitted infections among teens.

Sen. Caroline Menjivar, who represents the San Fernando Valley, authored Senate Bill 954 -- besides known arsenic the Youth Health Equity and Safety Act.

Although immoderate schoolhouse districts marque escaped condoms disposable to precocious schoolhouse students, a bulk don't.

Action News checked successful with schools successful Central California to spot if immoderate districts are already providing escaped entree to condoms.

Fresno, Clovis, Kings Canyon, Visalia and Mariposa schoolhouse districts said they are not.

The deficiency of entree to a preventative instrumentality is thing Sen. Menjivar would similar to change.

"What this does is assistance successful situations wherever we cognize parents are not going to beryllium determination with their kids 24/7," she said. "When a infinitesimal happens, and this idiosyncratic decides to marque a idiosyncratic determination and person intersexual intercourse, I privation to marque sure, erstwhile that happens, that they're fixed the resources indispensable to enactment harmless and healthy."

The projected measure would necessitate nationalist and charter precocious schools successful the authorities to marque escaped condoms disposable to students. It would besides prohibition precocious schools from prohibiting condom organisation by assemblage wellness partners, specified arsenic during enactment acquisition classes. SB954 would besides let school-based wellness centers to marque condoms disposable to students. Lastly, it would prohibit pharmacies and retailers from asking for proof-of-age for condom purchases.

One Fresno Unified genitor believes the measure would beryllium ineffective.

"I consciousness similar it's a batch of wasted vigor enactment into talking astir condoms, talking astir contraceptives," explained Mandie Shanley, a Bullard High School parent. "While that is invaluable information, it's a batch of wasted vigor for students that it's not applicable to."

According to a 2021 CDC report, 30% of precocious schoolhouse students successful the state admitted to having sex. It besides shows much than fractional of the astir 20 cardinal caller STDs reported successful 2020 were among those 15 to 24 years old.

"California successful information is spending millions of dollars, immoderate reports accidental $1 billion, successful addressing STI cases of Californians," Sen. Menjivar said. "My measure is looking to guarantee that we prevention wealth by being preventative and let that our individuals who are having intersexual intercourse are protected."

In Fresno County, more than 50% of chlamydia cases are successful the 15-24 property range.

According to Shanley, determination are different ways to code that rising number.

This is the 2nd clip the legislator has introduced this bill. It got vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom past year.

The recently projected measure would see a authorities backing petition of astir $5 cardinal for 3 years to guarantee precocious schools are capable to supply escaped entree to condoms.

SB 954 is inactive waiting to beryllium sent to a subcommittee for a vote.