Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4208 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R15266 RAL-D
2	2	By: Lowe H.B. No. 4208
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to including fetal development instruction as part of the
10	10	required health curriculum for public school students.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by
13	13	adding Subsection (r-2) to read as follows:
14	14	(r-2) The State Board of Education shall by rule require
15	15	students to receive fetal development instruction, including the
16	16	humanity of the unborn child and the concept that life begins at
17	17	fertilization, as part of the essential knowledge and skills for
18	18	the health curriculum under Subsection (a)(2)(B) at appropriate
19	19	grade levels. The instruction must include:
20	20	(1) information on:
21	21	(A) the human reproductive process, pregnancy,
22	22	and infertility; and
23	23	(B) the prevention of birth defects, including
24	24	information on the effect of drugs, alcohol, and environmental
25	25	hazards such as lead;
26	26	(2) a description of the growth and development of an
27	27	unborn child that occur during each trimester of pregnancy;
28	28	(3) to the extent the videos are publicly available, a
29	29	showing of the following:
30	30	(A) LiveAction, Meet Baby Olivia (2025);
31	31	(B) St. John Paul II Life Center, A Glimpse
32	32	Inside (2025); and (2025); and
33	33	(C) "The Miracle of Life," NOVA (PBS Feb. 15,
34	34	1983); and
35	35	(4) the informational materials described by Section
36	36	171.014, Health and Safety Code.
37	37	SECTION 2. Section 28.004(c), Education Code, is amended to
38	38	read as follows:
39	39	(c) The local school health advisory council's duties
40	40	include recommending:
41	41	(1) the number of hours of instruction to be provided
42	42	in:
43	43	(A) health education in kindergarten through
44	44	grade eight; and
45	45	(B) if the school district requires health
46	46	education for high school graduation, health education, including
47	47	physical health education and mental health education, in grades 9
48	48	through 12;
49	49	(2) policies, procedures, strategies, and curriculum
50	50	appropriate for specific grade levels designed to prevent physical
51	51	health concerns, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, Type 2
52	52	diabetes, and mental health concerns, including suicide, through
53	53	coordination of:
54	54	(A) health education, which must address
55	55	physical health concerns and mental health concerns to ensure the
56	56	integration of physical health education and mental health
57	57	education;
58	58	(B) physical education and physical activity;
59	59	(C) nutrition services;
60	60	(D) parental involvement;
61	61	(E) instruction on substance abuse prevention;
62	62	(F) school health services, including mental
63	63	health services;
64	64	(G) a comprehensive school counseling program
65	65	under Section 33.005;
66	66	(H) a safe and healthy school environment; and
67	67	(I) school employee wellness;
68	68	(3) appropriate grade levels and methods of
69	69	instruction for human sexuality instruction;
70	70	(4) strategies for integrating the curriculum
71	71	components specified by Subdivision (2) with the following elements
72	72	in a coordinated school health program for the district:
73	73	(A) school health services, including physical
74	74	health services and mental health services, if provided at a campus
75	75	by the district or by a third party under a contract with the
76	76	district;
77	77	(B) a comprehensive school counseling program
78	78	under Section 33.005;
79	79	(C) a safe and healthy school environment; and
80	80	(D) school employee wellness;
81	81	(5) if feasible, joint use agreements or strategies
82	82	for collaboration between the school district and community
83	83	organizations or agencies;
84	84	(6) strategies to increase parental awareness
85	85	regarding:
86	86	(A) risky behaviors and early warning signs of
87	87	suicide risks and behavioral health concerns, including mental
88	88	health disorders and substance use disorders; and
89	89	(B) available community programs and services
90	90	that address risky behaviors, suicide risks, and behavioral health
91	91	concerns;
92	92	(7) appropriate grade levels and curriculum for
93	93	instruction regarding the dangers of opioids, including
94	94	instruction on:
95	95	(A) opioid addiction and abuse, including
96	96	addiction to and abuse of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl; and
97	97	(B) methods of administering an opioid
98	98	antagonist, as defined by Section 483.101, Health and Safety Code;
99	99	[and]
100	100	(8) appropriate grade levels and curriculum for
101	101	instruction regarding child abuse, family violence, dating
102	102	violence, and sex trafficking, including likely warning signs that
103	103	a child may be at risk for sex trafficking, provided that the local
104	104	school health advisory council's recommendations under this
105	105	subdivision do not conflict with the essential knowledge and skills
106	106	developed by the State Board of Education under this subchapter;
107	107	and
108	108	(9) appropriate curriculum for the fetal development
109	109	instruction described by Section 28.002(r-2), provided that the
110	110	local school health advisory council's recommendations under this
111	111	subdivision do not conflict with the essential knowledge and skills
112	112	developed by the State Board of Education under this subchapter.
113	113	SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026
114	114	school year.
115	115	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
116	116	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
117	117	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
118	118	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
119	119	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.