Sex education would be mandatory for Hawaii public school students under a bill advanced by House lawmakers Wednesday.

House Bill 399 also calls for a more "comprehensive approach" to Hawaii’s sex education curriculum, beyond the Department of Education’s current abstinence-based policy. That would include teaching students about healthy relationships, contraception and disease prevention, according to the bill.

Another component would ensure that lessons do not discriminate against a student’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

DOE officials say its current sex education policy cannot be enforced, resulting in inconsistent lessons at schools.

"We cannot guarantee that every teacher does what they’re supposed to do. And that’s reality," Katherine Sakuda, an administrator with the DOE’s curriculum branch, told the House Education Committee on Wednesday.

The bill would make the policy enforceable by mandating what is taught, supporters said.

Current DOE benchmarks require that students receive some form of sex education in the fifth and seventh grades and in high school, but Sakuda said that health — which includes sex education — is an elective course at middle and intermediate schools. She also said that what is taught in these health courses is ultimately up to school principals and teachers.

Still, Sakuda said the Department of Education opposes the bill because it seeks to legislate curriculum, which she said should be a responsibility of the department and Board of Education.

House Vice Speaker John Mizuno, primary author of House Bill 399, argued that a comprehensive sex education program could help address the high rate of pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases among Hawaii teens.

Hawaii had the 17th-highest rate of teen pregnancies in the nation in 2010, according to a report by the Guttmacher Institute.

Another report showed an increasing number of Hawaii teens are engaging in unprotected sex. Of the 37 percent of Hawaii’s teens who are sexually active, 56 percent do not use condoms, according to a 2011 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"If students intend to participate in sexual activities, they need to have information that is spot-on so that they can make informed decisions, which may help with unplanned teen pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases," Mizuno said.

Mizuno (D, Kamehameha Heights-Kalihi Valley), former chairman of the House Human Service Committee, said unplanned teen pregnancies cost Hawaii taxpayers $22 million a year in health care, welfare assistance and other costs.

When asked about the DOE’s opposition, Mizuno said, "The point is this, if we can save taxpayers $22 million a year, and we can do it by mandating accurate sex health education, then that’s the position I’m going to take."

Advocates for the bill, including Planned Parenthood of Hawaii and the Hawaii Youth Services Network, say all students should receive age-appropriate sex education — and receive it more often.

"There is little consistency and accountability between schools. Too many students receive inadequate sexual health education," said Katie Reardon, director of public affairs and government relations for Planned Parenthood of Hawaii. "With no standard curriculum for sexual health, teachers are often left to decide what to teach on their own."

Reardon added that expanding what’s taught will help keep students safe and healthy.

"Abstinence is a really important part of a comprehensive sexual eduction, but it’s not just about condoms and it’s not just about sexually transmitted diseases," she said. "It’s about learning those tools — how to say no when you don’t want sex and defining your boundaries and forming healthy relationships."

The bill would mandate that all public elementary, middle, intermediate, high and alternative schools under the DOE "shall provide sexual health education" that meets the following criteria:

» Is age-appropriate.

» Includes education on abstinence, contraception and methods of disease prevention to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease.

» Helps students develop relationships and communication skills to form healthy relationships that are based on mutual respect and affection and free from violence, coercion and intimidation.

» Helps students develop skills in critical thinking, problem solving, decision making and stress management to make healthy decisions about sexuality and relationships.

» Encourages students to communicate with their parents about sexuality and intimate relations.

The DOE would be required to set minimum education and training qualifications for sex education teachers.

House Education Chairman Roy Takumi removed the original bill’s effective date — which had been the 2014-2015 school year — citing concern over whether the DOE could implement the law within two years.

The bill next heads for a House floor vote and, if approved, would then cross over to the Senate.

Takumi said he plans to ask the Senate Education Committee to consider adding startup funding to the measure.

Judith Clark, executive director of Hawaii Youth Services Network, offered to partner and work with the DOE to develop curriculum and train teachers using a federal grant.