New Act Funds Comprehensive Sex Ed in K-12 and College, Repeals Abstinence-Only Programs with $100M Annually

The Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act of 2025 is a major shakeup in how the federal government funds sex education and sexual health services for young people aged 10 through 29. Starting in fiscal year 2026, this Act authorizes $100 million annually through 2031 to create competitive grants for schools, colleges, and community organizations. The core mission is to shift federal support entirely toward comprehensive, evidence-informed education and away from older, less effective models.

The End of Abstinence-Only Funding

Let’s start with the big financial change: Section 12 explicitly repeals Section 510 of the Social Security Act, which funded the longstanding abstinence-only until marriage programs. Not only is that funding stream canceled, but any unspent money from those old programs is immediately transferred to fund this new Act. This is a direct policy pivot, dedicating federal dollars only to programs that are medically accurate, complete, and inclusive, which is a key requirement under Section 10.

Who Gets the New $100 Million?

This funding isn't just dumped into one pot; it’s divided into specific grant programs, each lasting five years. Up to 30% goes to K-12 schools and youth organizations (Sec. 4), and up to 10% is reserved for colleges and universities (Sec. 5). If you’re a student, this means your school or local community center could receive funding to integrate high-quality sex education into curriculum, orientation, or peer-led programs. For college students, this could look like mandatory, age-appropriate health education integrated into general requirements.

Prioritizing the Underserved

A significant portion—up to 30%—is reserved for grants to organizations providing youth-friendly sexual health services to underserved young people (Sec. 7). The Act defines “underserved” broadly, including youth of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, those in foster care, and those experiencing homelessness. If you live in a rural area or belong to a community that historically lacked access to good care, this funding is designed to help local clinics or non-profits become more culturally responsive and accessible, offering everything from contraception and STI services to mental health support and referrals for survivors of interpersonal violence.

Mandatory Standards: Consent, Identity, and Accuracy

The most important part of this bill is the strict quality control it imposes. Any program receiving these federal grants must meet high standards (Sec. 2). Education must be medically accurate and complete, based on peer-reviewed research. Crucially, it must be inclusive of all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientations. A major focus is on teaching consent, defined as active, conscious, and voluntary agreement before any physical or sexual activity. This means any funded program needs to be teaching young people about healthy boundaries and respect, which is essential knowledge whether you're navigating a relationship or just a workplace.

Investing in the Educators

Recognizing that you can't teach what you don't know, up to 15% of the annual funding is dedicated to grants for educator training (Sec. 6). This means teachers, counselors, and health educators will get professional development to ensure they can deliver this new, comprehensive curriculum effectively. This training can include developing anti-racist and gender-inclusive policies, ensuring that the quality of instruction doesn’t depend on where you live or which school you attend.

The Accountability Factor

For those who worry about federal funds being wasted, the Act includes robust accountability measures (Sec. 8). Grantees must submit annual reports detailing how the money was spent and how it increased access to education or services. Even more importantly, the Secretary must hire an independent, non-profit organization within six months to conduct a multi-year, scientifically rigorous evaluation of all the funded projects. This six-year study will use hard data and statistics to prove whether these grant programs are actually achieving their goal of improving young people’s health outcomes. This commitment to evidence means the program has a built-in mechanism to learn what works and what doesn't, justifying the $100 million annual investment.