House File 76 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 76 BY FETT 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 1624YH (1) 91 jda/jh
H.F. 76 Section 1. Section 256.11, subsection 4, Code 2025, 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, including 4 instruction related to civics; mathematics; science; 5 health; age-appropriate and research-based human growth and 6 development; career exploration and development; physical 7 education; music; and visual art. Computer science instruction 8 incorporating the standards established under section 256.7, 9 subsection 26 , paragraph a , subparagraph (4), shall be 10 offered in at least one grade level commencing with the 11 school year beginning July 1, 2023. Career exploration 12 and development shall be designed so that students are 13 appropriately prepared to create an individual career 14 and academic plan pursuant to section 279.61 , incorporate 15 foundational career and technical education concepts aligned 16 with the six career and technical education service areas as 17 defined in subsection 5 , paragraph h , incorporate relevant 18 twenty-first century skills to facilitate career readiness, 19 and introduce students to career opportunities within the 20 local community and across this state. The health curriculum 21 shall include age-appropriate and research-based information 22 regarding the characteristics of sexually transmitted diseases. 23 The state board as part of accreditation standards shall adopt 24 curriculum definitions for implementing the program in grades 25 seven and eight. However, this subsection shall not apply to 26 the teaching of career exploration and development in nonpublic 27 schools. The human growth and development curriculum shall 28 include all of the following: 29 a. Human biology related to pregnancy. 30 b. Human development inside the womb. 31 c. A high-definition ultrasound video, at least three 32 minutes in duration, showing the development of the brain, 33 heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal 34 development. 35 -1- LSB 1624YH (1) 91 jda/jh 1/ 3
H.F. 76 d. A high-quality, computer-generated rendering or animation 1 showing the process of fertilization and every stage of human 2 development inside the uterus, noting significant markers in 3 cell growth and organ development for every significant marker 4 of pregnancy until birth. 5 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph j, 6 subparagraph (1), Code 2025, 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 showing the process of fertilization and every stage 25 of human development inside the uterus, noting significant 26 markers in cell growth and organ development for every 27 significant marker of pregnancy until birth. 28 Sec. 3. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, paragraph g, Code 29 2025, is amended by adding the following new subparagraph: 30 NEW SUBPARAGRAPH . (01) The educational standards 31 established in section 256.11 relating to the human growth and 32 development curriculum for grades seven and eight or the health 33 curriculum for grades nine through twelve. 34 Sec. 4. Section 256F.4, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended 35 -2- LSB 1624YH (1) 91 jda/jh 2/ 3
H.F. 76 by adding the following new paragraph: 1 NEW PARAGRAPH . r. Be subject to and comply with the 2 requirements of section 256.11 relating to the human growth 3 and development curriculum for grades seven and eight and the 4 health curriculum for grades nine through twelve. 5 EXPLANATION 6 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 7 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 8 This bill incorporates provisions related to pregnancy and 9 fetal development into the human growth and development and 10 health curriculum provided by school districts, accredited 11 nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools 12 to students enrolled in grades 7 through 12. 13 The bill requires that the human growth and development 14 curriculum provided by school districts, nonpublic schools, 15 charter schools, and innovation zone schools in grades 7 and 16 8, and the health curriculum in grades 9 through 12, include 17 instruction regarding human biology related to pregnancy and 18 human development inside the womb. The bill also requires 19 that such curriculum include a video, at least three minutes 20 in duration, showing the development of the brain, heart, sex 21 organs, and other vital organs in early fetal development, and 22 a rendering or animation showing the process of fertilization 23 and every stage of human development inside the uterus, noting 24 significant markers in cell growth and organ development for 25 every significant marker of pregnancy until birth. 26 -3- LSB 1624YH (1) 91 jda/jh 3/ 3