Assembly Bill No. 10
CHAPTER 791

An act to add Article 4.7 (commencing with Section 232.7) to Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code, relating to pupils.

[ Approved by Governor  October 13, 2023. Filed with Secretary of State  October 13, 2023. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 10, Lowenthal. Pupils: body shaming model policy and resources.
Existing law, the California Healthy Youth Act, states that its purposes include, among others, providing pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to develop healthy attitudes concerning, among other things, body image.
This bill would require the State Department of Education to, on or before June 30, 2025, and in consultation with specified entities and relevant stakeholders, develop and post on its internet website a model policy and resources about body shaming, as defined, and would encourage school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to inform teachers, staff, parents, and pupils about those resources, as provided.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Article 4.7 (commencing with Section 232.7) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code, to read:
Article  4.7. Body Shaming

232.7.
 (a) (1) (A) On or before June 30, 2025, the State Department of Education, in consultation with the California Health and Human Services Agency, the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, and other relevant stakeholders, shall develop and post on its internet website a model policy and resources about body shaming that is appropriate for schools that serve pupils in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, and that local educational agencies may use to educate staff and pupils about the issue of body shaming.
(B) The State Department of Education, in consultation with the California Health and Human Services Agency, the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, and other relevant stakeholders, may use existing resources or frameworks, or both, about body shaming or body image, or both, to meet the requirements of subparagraph (A).
(2) Local educational agencies are encouraged to inform teachers, staff, parents, and pupils about the resources developed pursuant to subdivision (a), including, but not limited to, by providing information in pupil and employee handbooks and making the information available on each schoolsite’s internet website.
(b) For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Body shaming” means the action or practice of mocking or stigmatizing a person by making critical comments or observations about the shape, size, or appearance of the person’s body.
(2) “Local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.