If enacted, this bill would amend current statutes by adding a new section, 15-712.02, to the Arizona Revised Statutes. The bill mandates that the State Board of Education (SBE) require all health education instruction for students in grades 7 and 8 to include specific instruction on fetal development, which encompasses information about the human reproductive process, pregnancy, infertility, and a description of the growth and development of an unborn child during each trimester of pregnancy. Additionally, the SBE would have the authority to extend age-appropriate fetal development instruction to students in grades 1 through 6 and 9 through 12.

Furthermore, the bill stipulates that students can be excused from fetal development instruction at the request of their parents. It also requires school districts and charter schools to provide parents with a description of the course curriculum and inform them of their right to withdraw their child from this instruction. Overall, the bill aims to enhance health education by incorporating fetal development topics while ensuring parental involvement and choice.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-712.02
House Engrossed Version: 15-712.02