House File 2617 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2617 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO HF 2031) A BILL FOR An Act incorporating provisions related to pregnancy and 1 fetal development into the human growth and development and 2 health curriculum provided by school districts, accredited 3 nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone 4 schools to students enrolled in grades seven through twelve. 5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 6 TLSB 5035HV (2) 90 jda/jh
H.F. 2617 Section 1. Section 256.11, subsection 4, Code 2024, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 4. The following shall be taught in grades seven and 3 eight: English-language arts; social studies; mathematics; 4 science; health; age-appropriate and research-based human 5 growth and development; career exploration and development; 6 physical education; music; and visual art. Computer science 7 instruction incorporating the standards established under 8 section 256.7, subsection 26 , paragraph a , subparagraph (4), 9 shall be offered in at least one grade level commencing with 10 the school year beginning July 1, 2023. Career exploration 11 and development shall be designed so that students are 12 appropriately prepared to create an individual career 13 and academic plan pursuant to section 279.61 , incorporate 14 foundational career and technical education concepts aligned 15 with the six career and technical education service areas as 16 defined in subsection 5 , paragraph h , incorporate relevant 17 twenty-first century skills to facilitate career readiness, 18 and introduce students to career opportunities within the 19 local community and across this state. The health curriculum 20 shall include age-appropriate and research-based information 21 regarding the characteristics of sexually transmitted diseases. 22 The state board as part of accreditation standards shall adopt 23 curriculum definitions for implementing the program in grades 24 seven and eight. However, this subsection shall not apply to 25 the teaching of career exploration and development in nonpublic 26 schools. The human growth and development curriculum shall 27 include all of the following: 28 a. Human biology related to pregnancy. 29 b. Human development inside the womb. 30 c. A high-definition ultrasound video, at least three 31 minutes in duration, showing the development of the brain, 32 heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal 33 development. 34 d. A high-quality, computer-generated rendering or 35 -1- LSB 5035HV (2) 90 jda/jh 1/ 3
H.F. 2617 animation, comparable to the meet baby Olivia video developed 1 by live action, showing the process of fertilization and 2 every stage of human development inside the uterus, noting 3 significant markers in cell growth and organ development for 4 every significant marker of pregnancy until birth. 5 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph j, 6 subparagraph (1), Code 2024, is amended to read as follows: 7 (1) One unit of health education which may include personal 8 health; food and nutrition; environmental health; safety and 9 survival skills; consumer health; family life; age-appropriate 10 and research-based human growth and development; substance 11 use disorder and nonuse; emotional and social health; health 12 resources; cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and prevention 13 and control of disease, including age-appropriate and 14 research-based information regarding sexually transmitted 15 diseases. The health education curriculum shall include all 16 of the following: 17 (a) Human biology related to pregnancy. 18 (b) Human development inside the womb. 19 (c) A high-definition ultrasound video, at least three 20 minutes in duration, showing the development of the brain, 21 heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal 22 development. 23 (d) A high-quality, computer-generated rendering or 24 animation, comparable to the meet baby Olivia video developed 25 by live action, showing the process of fertilization and 26 every stage of human development inside the uterus, noting 27 significant markers in cell growth and organ development for 28 every significant marker of pregnancy until birth. 29 Sec. 3. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, paragraph g, Code 30 2024, is amended to read as follows: 31 g. Be subject to and comply with the requirements of section 32 256.7, subsection 21 , and the educational standards of section 33 256.11 , unless specifically waived by the state board during 34 the application process ; provided, however, that the state 35 -2- LSB 5035HV (2) 90 jda/jh 2/ 3
H.F. 2617 board shall not waive the educational standards of section 1 256.11 relating to the human growth and development curriculum 2 for grades seven and eight or the health curriculum for grades 3 nine through twelve . 4 Sec. 4. Section 256F.4, subsection 2, Code 2024, is amended 5 by adding the following new paragraph: 6 NEW PARAGRAPH . p. Be subject to and comply with the 7 requirements of section 256.11 relating to the human growth 8 and development curriculum for grades seven and eight and the 9 health curriculum for grades nine through twelve. 10 EXPLANATION 11 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 12 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 13 This bill incorporates provisions related to pregnancy and 14 fetal development into the human growth and development and 15 health curriculum provided by school districts, accredited 16 nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools 17 to students enrolled in grades 7 through 12. 18 The bill requires that the human growth and development 19 curriculum provided by school districts, nonpublic schools, 20 charter schools, and innovation zone schools in grades 7 and 21 8, and the health curriculum in grades 9 through 12, include 22 instruction regarding human biology related to pregnancy and 23 human development inside the womb. The bill also requires 24 that such curriculum include a video, at least three minutes 25 in duration, showing the development of the brain, heart, sex 26 organs, and other vital organs in early fetal development, 27 and a rendering or animation, comparable to the meet baby 28 Olivia video developed by live action, showing the process of 29 fertilization and every stage of human development inside the 30 uterus, noting significant markers in cell growth and organ 31 development for every significant marker of pregnancy until 32 birth. 33 -3- LSB 5035HV (2) 90 jda/jh 3/ 3