House Study Bill 34 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON WHEELER) 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 2070YC (3) 91 jda/jh
H.F. _____ 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 2070YC (3) 91 jda/jh 1/ 3
H.F. _____ d. A high-quality, computer-generated rendering or 1 animation, comparable to the meet baby Olivia video developed 2 by live action, showing the process of fertilization and 3 every stage of human development inside the uterus, noting 4 significant markers in cell growth and organ development for 5 every significant marker of pregnancy until birth. 6 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph j, 7 subparagraph (1), Code 2025, is amended to read as follows: 8 (1) One unit of health education which may include personal 9 health; food and nutrition; environmental health; safety and 10 survival skills; consumer health; family life; age-appropriate 11 and research-based human growth and development; substance 12 use disorder and nonuse; emotional and social health; health 13 resources; cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and prevention 14 and control of disease, including age-appropriate and 15 research-based information regarding sexually transmitted 16 diseases. The health education curriculum shall include all 17 of the following: 18 (a) Human biology related to pregnancy. 19 (b) Human development inside the womb. 20 (c) A high-definition ultrasound video, at least three 21 minutes in duration, showing the development of the brain, 22 heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal 23 development. 24 (d) A high-quality, computer-generated rendering or 25 animation, comparable to the meet baby Olivia video developed 26 by live action, showing the process of fertilization and 27 every stage of human development inside the uterus, noting 28 significant markers in cell growth and organ development for 29 every significant marker of pregnancy until birth. 30 Sec. 3. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, paragraph g, Code 31 2025, is amended by adding the following new subparagraph: 32 NEW SUBPARAGRAPH . (01) The educational standards 33 established in section 256.11 relating to the human growth and 34 development curriculum for grades seven and eight or the health 35 -2- LSB 2070YC (3) 91 jda/jh 2/ 3
H.F. _____ curriculum for grades nine through twelve. 1 Sec. 4. Section 256F.4, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended 2 by adding the following new paragraph: 3 NEW PARAGRAPH . r. Be subject to and comply with the 4 requirements of section 256.11 relating to the human growth 5 and development curriculum for grades seven and eight and the 6 health curriculum for grades nine through twelve. 7 EXPLANATION 8 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 9 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 10 This bill incorporates provisions related to pregnancy and 11 fetal development into the human growth and development and 12 health curriculum provided by school districts, accredited 13 nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools 14 to students enrolled in grades 7 through 12. 15 The bill requires that the human growth and development 16 curriculum provided by school districts, nonpublic schools, 17 charter schools, and innovation zone schools in grades 7 and 18 8, and the health curriculum in grades 9 through 12, include 19 instruction regarding human biology related to pregnancy and 20 human development inside the womb. The bill also requires 21 that such curriculum include a video, at least three minutes 22 in duration, showing the development of the brain, heart, sex 23 organs, and other vital organs in early fetal development, 24 and a rendering or animation, comparable to the meet baby 25 Olivia video developed by live action, showing the process of 26 fertilization and every stage of human development inside the 27 uterus, noting significant markers in cell growth and organ 28 development for every significant marker of pregnancy until 29 birth. 30 -3- LSB 2070YC (3) 91 jda/jh 3/ 3