Incorporating provisions related to pregnancy and fetal development into the human growth and development and health curricula provided by school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to students enrolled in grades five through twelve

This bill incorporates provisions related to pregnancy and fetal development into the human growth and development and health curricula provided by school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to students enrolled in grades 1 through 12. The bill requires that the human growth and development curricula provided by school districts, nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools in grades 1 through 8, and the health curriculum in grades 9 through 12, include instruction related to human development inside the womb. The bill also requires that such curricula include a high-definition ultrasound video showing the presence of the brain, heart, and other vital organs in early fetal development, and a high-quality, computer-generated rendering or animation, or an ultrasound or other real image, that depicts the humanity of the unborn child by showing prenatal human development, starting at fertilization, noting significant markers in cell growth and organ development throughout every stage of pregnancy. The bill requires the state board of education to adopt rules to administer and interpret these provisions.19(10)(l)).19(10)(c)). The bill modifies the definition of “research-based” for purposes of human growth and development instruction, and for purposes of the state’s educational program, to provide that such term means complete, unbiased information that is verified or supported by the weight of research conducted in compliance with accepted scientific methods, recognized as medically accurate and objective by leading professional organizations and agencies with relevant expertise in the field, and published in peer-reviewed journals where appropriate.