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Since the year 2000, the federal government has become increasingly involved in sexual education policy, advocating for abstinence only programs in lieu of more comprehensive education. The increased federal influence marks a distinct shift in policy—local governments and community members are no longer the focal actors in the sexual education policy arena. While many scholars have studied the effectiveness of abstinence only programs, there is little work examining the policy implementation process. In this study, we compare federal government influences on abstinence only programs in 1999 and 2003 to better see how shifts in the federal government's sexual educational polices are impacting other government and community actors. Using data from the Sex Education in America Surveys (SEAS), we find that changes in federal policy, particularly after the year 2000, significantly alter the influences and involvements of both state and local government and other community actors on school sexual education programs. As federal influence increases, the number of abstinence only programs continues to grow, and additionally, the influence and involvements of other actors are declining, changing the face of sexual education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]